An Interview with Imam Mahdi

 

Today, 19 April 2024, marks the 21^st anniversary of the first Bai’at [the covenant of repentance with God] initiated and accepted by Hazrat Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius on 19 April 2003. On that day in 2003, soon after the demise of the fourth caliph of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Mirza Tahir Ahmad Saheb [1928-2003] in London [UK], Hazrat Amir-ul-Mu’mineen (aba) received the Divine instruction to accede to the request of Muslim brothers and sisters in Mauritius to receive Bai’at in the Hand of Allah (represented by the hand of Hazrat Imam (aba)]; marking an important milestone in the sacred history and trajectory of Islamic renewal over the centuries. Accordingly, the first Bai’at was held that evening in the house of Hazrat Ummul Mu'mineen Fazli Amena Saheba on the second storey, at Louvet Avenue, Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius. From that momentous occasion, over the last two decades, the spiritual mission of Hazrat Khalifatullah Al Mahdi (aba) has been, and is, thriving by the grace and blessings of Allah (swt). And for true spiritual seekers- those who have eyes to observe, ears to listen and hearts to understand-, the support and help of God is clearly evident in the progressive trajectory of the Divine Manifestation of our era, Subhaan Allah, Alhamdulillah, Allah-u-Akbar!

It is absolutely certain that Hazrat Imam Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius has appeared as a servant of Faith in our midst with proof from Allah the Almighty. The divine revelations vouchsafed to Hazrat Saheb (aba) comprises matters of the unseen and prophecies with regard to the future, acceptance of prayer, revelation in various languages, and revelation of points of wisdom and divine truths- exactly like in the times of the promised messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian [1835-1908]. Since all this is divine testimony, it is the duty of everyone who possesses faith to accept his claim  as the servant of God in this era, the Divinely-raised ‘Muhyiuddin’/ ‘Mujaddid’/ ‘Khalifatullah’/’ Dhul Qarnain’/ ‘Imam Mahdi’- all being spiritual titles bestowed by the Lord Himself upon His servant of this era.    

23 Years of the Divine Manifestation

 

On Sunday, the 7^th of January 2024, Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International convened a special programme to mark the completion of the first 23 years of the present Divine Manifestation in the person of Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius. The blessed programme, organized and hosted by the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- Tamil Nadu and its dynamic Amir Mukarram Khwajah Muhyiuddin Saleem Saheb, included Tilawat-e-Qur’an, Nazms, speeches by senior Jamaat officials as well as the narration of spiritually-infused visions and dreams and revelations by members of the pious Household, and a final address by Hazrat Saheb (aba), Subhaan Allah, Alhamdulillah, Allah-u-Akbar!

 

For common Jamaat members like this humble writer, it was a day of gratefulness and thanksgiving to Allah (swt). As Muslims who follow the timeless teachings of the Holy Qur’an, and the deep insights of the Holy Prophet’s sacred practice as the correct and straight path- the religion of Allah; we recognize that the raising of an Elect of God among the people is an enduring Divine practice, a Sunnat Allah, in every era. Allah (swt) granted us a practical role model and exemplar of the spiritual Way, especially in an era and at a time when most people grope in the darkness of ignorance, misbeliefs and superstitions, doubts, and despair. Hence, the raising of a Mujaddid in our troubled times is an example of pure Divine grace and mercy in our perspective. And He granted us an extraordinary blessing by enabling us to recognize His chosen manifestation in our midst, Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah. 

Divine Light and Soul Beauty

 

The Inner Beauty of Muhammad (pbuh) The Holy Prophet of Islam

In one of his sayings, the Holy Prophet – peace be upon him – is narrated to have said: “Allah (God Almighty) is beauty and He loves beauty.” (Muslim)

Verily, the beauty which God Almighty truly seeks in a person is his inner beauty. The way the person conducts himself, the way he talks, the way he behaves with others, the way he accomplishes all his spiritual and worldly duties with integrity, honesty, trust in Him [God Almighty] and the joy of humility is what truly counts.

Indeed, humility is a light which drives someone to plunge into the Ocean of the Knowledge of God to perfect himself in it, and the perfect man who received this boon from the Almighty is the Holy Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him. For all Muslims and for the entire world he is to this day the only leader who though poor and humble, had conquered the world to the unity of God through connecting his own heart to the people. He had in him the courage and inspiration from God Almighty to encourage all those who chose to follow him to the heights of success. In just twenty-three years, he was able to reform a barbarous and ignorant people and shown to them the basics of true life and connect them to the Creator Who has them and the whole world within the grip of His Power.

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)

Poem: 'The Fire of Moses'

 

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

 

If a Witch you think I am,

And witchcraft is my Art,

Then let me show you the Wonders,

Of the great Wizard,

Whose staff ate away,

The serpents of unfaith;

 

If him a Wizard you label,

Then a Witch am I for God's sake,

The fire of Moses is burning within me,

For it seeks to purify me,

To the Core of my Being;

Khalifatullah: A Message for Jamaat

 

‘Consider the flight of time!

Man is bound to lose himself,

Except those who believe,

Do good deeds,

Urge one another to truth,

And urge one another to steadfastness’

   -----[Holy Qur’an, Surah Al Asr, (103:1-3)]. 

In a moving, special message to the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam members in India, Sheikh-ul-Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (aba) of Mauritius recently spoke of the critical situation in the world- of the extremely dangerous challenges facing our precarious world, and of the need for everyone to return to the path of prudence and piety; of invocations and charitable giving; of obedience to Allah (swt), and His messenger (sa), and His chosen Elect of this era; of remaining united in forgiveness and solidarity, without any arrogance or ill feeling; of embracing one another in a spirit of brotherhood. As someone who receives Messages like no else all around us does, and as people generally and mostly fail to appreciate the enormous burden that he carries in this heavenly responsibility of conveying Divine communications to all the world, Hazrat Saheb (aba)’s personal, spiritual message to members in the Jamaat assumes vital importance for the disciples' individual conduct and social engagements, and larger spiritual outlook and hope in God’s mercy and grace, Blessings and Favours amidst the turbulence all around.  

Read an interpretative Text of the recent special Messages sent by our beloved Imam (aba) through our humble brother Hazrat Mukarram Shahul Hameed Faizal Saheb of Saudi Arabia:  

The Keys of Divine Grace

 

‘He has the keys to the unseen: no one knows them but Him. He knows all that is in the land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowledge, nor is there a grain in the darkness of the earth, or anything, fresh or withered, that is not written in a clear Record’. (6:60)

There is not a thing whose storehouses are not with Us. We send it down only according to a well-defined measure’. (15:22)

‘To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He enlarges the provision for whomsoever He pleases and straitens it for whomsoever He pleases. Surely, He knows all things full well’.  (42:13)

‘To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth; and as for those who disbelieve in the Signs of Allah, these it is who are the losers’. (39:64)

‘To Allah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth: but this truth the hypocrites cannot grasp’ (63:8) 

Through these verses and very many other verses, the Holy Qur’an calls attention to the ultimate sovereign authority and protective power of Allah, the Almighty over the heavens and the earth. He opens the treasuries of provisions, mercy, and knowledge on whoever He wills, and He withholds the same as He alone desires. Indeed, it is Allah Alone who possesses the power to bring blessings of this life- provisions, knowledge, honour and benefits- on anyone. Speaking of this grand Sustainer of the Worlds, Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian once wrote:

'Sirat Allah' and Women

Two distinct strands are visible in male attitudes towards women in different cultures before Islam. At one end of this spectrum, in idolatrous nations, in the rituals of religion, we see the celebration of women as daughters of God, making them deities and goddesses on a lofty pedestal. On the other end, in real life, women face discrimination and injustice and ‘glass ceilings’ everywhere. This glaring contradiction in religious outlook and social practice abounds, on a much larger scale, in the traditional patriarchal frameworks of our societies: the male elites claim to respect and 'worship' women deities, yet they relegate their women to an inferior position- ignoring their dignity and identity, and denying them their interests and rights on an equal footing. 

Islam emerged in an Arabian social order that was already grappling with these broad trends on the status of women. In the pre-Islamic Arabia, many people worshipped female deities and goddesses as well as angels with female names such as al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat, etc. In spite of such religious practices, like many other patriarchal societies around the world at that time and later, in pre-Islamic Arabia, the dominant male gaze betrayed a contempt for women- reflective in their preference for male progeny and regarding daughters as no more than a necessary evil. While the gender of the child should make no difference in the flow of parental love, it is the decadent social order that hinders the true appreciation of, and gratitude towards God, for the miracle of life in their midst. Indeed, to expound on its progressive outlook on women’s role and function in the social order of the believers, the Qur’an condemns the manifest contradictions in the pre-Islamic Arab attitudes on the question of women: 

‘They ascribe daughters unto God, who is limitless in His glory- whereas for themselves (they would choose, if they could , only) what they desire (male issue): for, whenever any of them is given the glad tiding of (the birth of) a girl, his face darkens, and he is filled with suppressed anger, avoiding all people because of the (alleged) evil of the glad tiding which he has received (and debating within himself:) Shall he keep this (child) despite the contempt (which he feels for it)- or shall he bury it in the dust? Oh, evil indeed is whatever they decide!’ (16: 58-60). 

‘Why for yourselves (you would choose only) male offspring, whereas to Him (you assign) female: that, lo and behold, is an unfair division!’ (53: 22-23). 

Hence, the Qur’an utterly condemns the pre-Islamic male attitudes towards the suppression of women. Female infanticide and foeticide are among the evil practices that continue to exist even in our times. The pre-Islamic practice of burying girls alive may or may not be happening on a larger scale now. However, its modern equivalents such as denying girls’ access to opportunities for developing their qualities and potentials continue to be a bane of several societies. For instance, it was only recently that the Taliban regime wanted to close down women’s education in Afghanistan. It is ironic that Muslim communities privilege pre-Islamic practices that ignore or evade or seek to bend Islamic teachings to suit their social conservatism. In the name of religion and customary practices, women are being denied ‘an equal sky’. 

'Duah': Invocations to Allah- XI

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah I continue on the series of sermons on “duahs” (invocations). Today, we shall hear the invocations which the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) used to pray. He gave importance to Salat (prayer) and how to beautify our Salat with duahs (invocations) and praises of Allah and His Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh).

The Promised Messiah (as) says: Salat is very important and it is the apex of the spiritual exaltation of the true believer. Salat is the best medium of interacting with God in prayer.  

Salat is nothing but presenting oneself before God Almighty, and it is a combination of praising God and an attempt at the expiration of one’s sins. One who does not keep these purposes in view, derives no benefit from Salat. Therefore, you must perform Salat in the best possible manner. When you are in the standing posture, your whole appearance must reflect the fact that you are standing before God in all humility. When you bow before Him in Salat, it must be a reflection of the bowing of your heart. When you fall prostrate, your manner must be that of a man who is inspired by fear of God. And pray a lot for your spiritual as well as material uplift. (Al-Hakam, 31 May 1903).

‘Taqwah’ Attracts God's Mercy

Islam is an amazingly hope-inducing religion for the human soul. With its invitation to an All Powerful, Most-Forgiving and Ever- Merciful Lord who cares for His servants and believers in this very world (as well as in the Hereafter), Islam provides a fascinating framework of ideas to deal with life’s contingent circumstances, deep disappointments, hopeless situations and other abiding sorrows. The Book of God in particular allows us to let go of despair and be hopeful of Divine mercy through its wonderfully-life affirming teachings: 

‘Do not despair of God’s mercy- only disbelievers despair of God’s mercy’, (12:88). 

‘God does not deny anyone who is mindful of God and steadfast in adversity the rewards of those who do good’ (12: 91) 

‘Is God not enough for His servant ?’ (39: 37)

One of the Divine revelations vouchsafed to the Promised Messiah Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian on the auspicious occasion of the 27th night of Ramadan 1324/ 15 November 1906 reads as follows:  

Qadir hai wo baargah,

tota kaam banaaé,

Bana, bana ya tor dé

Koyi uss ka bhed na jaané

('All Powerful and Almighty is the Lord Allah. An affair that had failed and broken to pieces, He can If He wills crown with success; And He also has the power to smash it up and reduce it to nothing that which stood accomplished and complete. There is none who can read the stupendous import of His profound Mysteries').

Given this extraordinary nature of dynamic Divine Will, the believer's faith allows her to invoke the favour of God, His special Mercy and Grace, through the instrumentality of Duahs. Indeed the Qur’an points to the power of sublime supplications to bring about a million miracles in our everyday secular and spiritual life. Those who are mindful of God and invoke fervent supplications to the Almighty hope to find open the doors of special Divine mercy and grace, transforming the landscape of their material and spiritual fortunes: fatal diseases can move away; family troubles and financial difficulties may be dissolved; mountains of other problems can disappear; even an infertile woman may be blessed with an offspring. Everything is possible, for Allah (swt) is wonderful; a Seeing and Hearing God Who notices what we ask of Him, and watches over our distressed beseeching. 

Service to Humanity as Divine Worship

The following is a revealed text which I initially received from Allah on 09 April 2004 at the beginning of the Divine Manifestation, in the times of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya Al Mouslemeen. Today, under divine instructions I address you, the members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam throughout the world with those same pearls of knowledge, those precious advices and revelations.

Service To Mankind: The Greatest Spiritual Practice

People today are very enthusiastic about the New year. When New year is coming, people spend a lot of money for the celebration of New Year. It is a sign of ignorance to single out one particular day in a year for celebration. For a true devotee, everyday is a festival. In fact, everyday is New Year day. Hence, we should consider every day, every minute as new and celebrate it with joy.

Service is the Highest Spiritual Practice. All that exists in this objective world is impermanent and unreal. Man should contemplate on that which is eternal and real. But man out of his ignorance, wastes his time in brooding over the past and worrying about the future while forgetting the present. The present only is real. Past is past; you cannot get it back, however much you may pray for it. The future is hidden in the womb of time. It is not possible to visualize it. Therefore, only the present is true and real. Instead of wasting your time in thinking about the past and worrying about the future, you should engage yourself in the service of your fellowmen. Service is the foremost spiritual practice. You should therefore, always engage yourself in the service of others. There is no greater spiritual practice than this. People totally forget the importance of service. They should understand that only the fruits of service are eternal. God has given us this body for service to others, and not merely for eating, drinking and wasting our valuable time in mundane activities. We must realise the truth that serving others is the most worthwhile activity for us. There is nothing greater than service to humanity. All great men redeemed their lives only through service.

Fourth Caliph and the Divine Signs

In his Friday Sermon of 01 February 2019~ 25 Jamadi’ul Awwal 1440 AH, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Hazrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius profoundly reflects upon certain interesting Divine Signs of our times. Based on Qur'anic prophecies and the Holy Prophet's own teachings, the Later Days is the era of extraordinary developments, marking the advent of great transformations that will 'disrupt' the existing ways and 'flatten' the world, destroying the elite privileges and artificial barriers at every level of societal stratification. Thanks to breath-taking changes in transportation mechanisms and  communication technologies in our times, different classes, nations and peoples are brought together more than ever before. In this age of the Internet, all the world is virtually reduced to our finger-tips! Hence, unlike the past, ideas and images travel swiftly across the world and it is now possible to reach out and share the Divine message to people everywhere, Alhamdulillah.  

On 07 January 1938, speaking on the occasion of the installation of loudspeakers at the Mosques in Qadian, the far-sighted second caliph of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (ra), underscored the importance of technical advancements as a means of bringing people together and he went on to virtually predict the advent of a time of technological progress when a single person sitting somewhere will be able to communicate and conduct his business globally and thereby it would become possible to spread the message of Islam across the world in an easier way through such developments. 

In this context, the establishment of the MTA International  commencing its operations from Mauritius  on 07 January 1994 was an important event in the annals of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. The then (fourth) caliph Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Saheb profoundly understood the significance of the moment and the opportunity MTA represents for the community. He recalled the prescient words of the second caliph on the occasion as he believed that the time to spread the teachings of Islam-Ahmadiyya around the globe arrived, with the satellite broadcasting channel in place. Anticipating the promised "victory" of Islam-Ahmadiyya in the second century of the Jamaat (1889-1989; 1989-), the fourth caliph even unleashed a programme of global bai'at, setting targets for the rank and file to convert the whole world. As it happened, afraid as they were to speak truth of the situation to the caliph,  the Nizam-e-Jamaat 'cooked the books' to reach the figures their 'boss' wanted to see and thereby perpetuated a culture of caliph-worship in the Nizam-e-Jamaat, creating a permanent crisis of credibility in its functioning 'methods'. Consider the searing paradox here: on the one hand, the caliph projected the Nizam- 'establishment'- as the true 'heirs' of the Promised Messiah (as) for all times; yet, he ended up presiding over the destruction of the fair name and legacy of the institution.  Allah (swt) raising an Elect of His choice  would upset and 'disrupt' the 'order' (the system of elected, infallible leadership) in the Jamaat. Hence, exaggerating  the 'ego' of the elected chiefs of the Jamaat, the caliph propagated that only a man-elected caliph could be the Divine Elect in future. Despite his line of thinking and public pronouncements, the caliph also understood that the All-Powerful and Exalted Allah (swt) might raise someone, anyone He chooses at a place of His choice, especially at the beginning of a new century of the Jamaat. The ambitious caliph did seem to have wished, and he certainly asked the Jamaat in so many words on the occasion of the annual Jalsa in the year 2000 CE, that everyone pray for him to be elevated as the "Mubarak Wajood "('blessed person'), like mentioned in the prophecies of the Promised Massih (as).    

Allah does what He will. Despite the caliph's ambitious plans and his arrogant pronouncements on Divine Decisions concerning the raising of a reformer in the Jamaat in the new century, the trajectory of Divine blessings and favours shifted in this era, with the advent of a man who speaks with the help of Ruh-il-Quddus, like prophesied by the Promised Massih (as) himself in his testamentary declaration, Al Wassiyat. Indeed, Allah (swt) in His infinite wisdom, used the most disruptive of technologies of communication the humans have ever known- "Ruh-il-Quddus"- to destroy the man-invented and exaggerated notions of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and rebuild the edifice of the Divine Order of His Elects guiding humanity till the Day of Judgement, by raising a humble servant of the faith in this era- a spiritual progeny of the Promised Massih (as) himself- Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius, Alhamdulillah. Like the Promised Messiah (as) also points out, despite the persecution- with "millions stand(ing) up against them", the caravan of the Divine Elect (atba) will continue to straddle the world with His Message, Insha-Allah, Aameen. 

The Divine signs narrated here calls for deeper reflection by those who use their minds- including truth seekers among the Ahmadis. In this era when the world is 'flat', the old order of special claims- of inherited family legacy and infallible authority of tribal chieftains (think of the Ahmadiyya Khilafat today)- are out of sync with the times and are bound to vanish. In the new order of God on earth, everywhere- both materially and spiritually speaking- 'the underclass', i.e., those who were  previously looked down upon, truly humble people are to inherit the earth: Indeed, the Divine favour of prophethood and sovereignty is being bestowed upon a new class of people in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya as well- through the advent of the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius, Alhamdulillah, Allah-u-Akbar!

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

Signs for the 'Ulul-Al-Baab'

“And it is not for a soul to believe except by permission of Allah, and He will place defilement upon those who will not use reason.” (Yunus 10 : 101).

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, Allah shows His signs in extraordinary ways. Sometimes in simple and unimaginable things. He can show His signs in a grand way. Certainly Allah guides whom He wills to the right path, and when He guides His servants, He opens for them the door of spiritual knowledge and makes them understand even a thing that seems simple and unimportant and He makes them see its importance.

Life @ 40: A Spiritual Gaze

‘Moses! 

I am your Lord. Take off your sandals: you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa.

I have chosen you, so listen to what is being revealed. 

I am Allah; there is no god but Me, so worship Me and keep up the prayer so that you remember Me'. (20: 12-15)

These verses in the Holy Qur’an allude to a time when Allah (swt) directly spoke to a servant of His, intimating him about the great Divine Mission that lies ahead of him; urging him to be detached from the personal relations that come in the way of  remaining engrossed in Divine Remembrance through fervent prayers and other devote supplications. In mystical commentaries of the aforesaid verses, the idea of "taking off the sandals" certainly points to the same: in being asked to remove his sandals, Hadhrat Musa (as) was being asked to cast aside this world by turning his face towards the Ocean of Divine Presence alone, dedicating oneself solely to Allah (swt). In a famous poem by  that medieval polymath Sheikh-ul-Akbar Muhyi-ud-Din Ibn Arabi, the imagery is explained eloquently: 

"Take off the sandals if you come

to this valley, for therein is Our Holiness.

Of the two worlds divest yourself,

and lift the veils of in-betweenness"

It is indeed a perennial practice of the Divine, a Sunnat Allah-according to the Qur’an- that He raises His Elects at places and times of His choice. ‘Allah knows best where to place His Message’. (6:125)  One of the interesting facts about the present Divine Manifestation in Mauritius is this. When Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) began to be a recipient of Divine communications and other messages of an exquisite spiritual variety, the messages from the Unseen reminded him about the need for holding a lot of patience and to ‘forget’ this world and to devote his time in much remembrance of the Divine through prayer and other supplications: the same kind of Divine messages that were revealed to Hadhrat Musa (as) in that sacred valley of Tuwa almost three millennium ago and preserved in the Holy Qur’an for all times! Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar.

'Learn to Dance with Your Soul'

Our era is drowned in Synthetic Pleasures

My dear disciples, please be aware that Muslims who copy Europeans seek the source of the Kawthar (Paradisiacal fountain) in a mirage. They are all ignorant of the secrets of faith; They are filled with hatred and resentment. Goodness and good are a dead letter for the privileged (the rich in this world); I found only truth and purity among the small people (i.e. those of humble means). Learn to distinguish people of religion (faith) and people of hatred. Seek out a true friend and stay with him.

I am afraid of that time (era) which has seen you born O my dear disciple - you who are the reflection of my own soul; It (that is, this era) is drowned in (worldly) matter, and knows little about the soul. As the body loses its value when the soul is absent, the man of God hides within himself. The search does not succeed in finding him, although it sees him face to face. So do not give up the taste for research, even if a hundred difficulties arise in your life. 

Need for Righteous Company in the Quest for God 

If you do not find the company of a wise man, take from me what comes from my father and my ancestors. Choose my master (Nabi Kareem, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)) as a companion, so that God may grant you the desire and fervour (of faith), for my master (pbuh) knows how to distinguish things and knows the bark (of a tree; in other words, the extrinsic) and the core (i.e., the intrinsic). His foot stands firmly on the road that leads to the Friend (Allah). Many explanations have been given about him, but no one has really understood him. His true meaning escaped us, like the gazelle.

Men have learned to dance with their bodies, reciting their words, but their eyes have not opened to the dance of the soul! The dance of the body make dust swirl whereas the dance of the soul moves the heavens. Science and wisdom come from the dance of the soul. The earth and the sky also come from this dance. It gives the individual the rapture of Moses, and thanks to it, the community (of the pious) becomes the heir of the Kingdom! 

Disasters and the Renewal of Faith

Disasters, or Divine Wrath?

What are natural disasters, according to human terms? These are on one hand repressible calamities and on the other uncontrollable disasters varying according to the intensity of the calamities in question, for example: earthquakes, storms, droughts, floods etc. They are classified into two parts: (1) those which manifest as the consequences of what the hands of men have brought forth. For e.g. Global warming by the greenhouse effect, pollution, etc. (2) those which manifest by the nature itself of how the earth and the heavens function, sometimes predictable, sometimes unpredictable.

In themselves, by their nature they are form an integral part in the overall scheme of things in which all life is created. Their roles in this scheme are determinants and are not at all nonsense. So in the interest of a great number of lives, some small individual interests are often sacrificed. This is the accepted principle. Because of the important role that these disasters play in the planning of things and in the journey of life and progress, they cannot then be taken as meaningless just because some individuals are victims are them.

Ethics of Creative Destruction

The general philosophy behind these disasters could be understood if you study the phenomenon of life and death – the fight of one in the face of the other. Every step forward in the evolution of life brings in its wake millions and millions of victims. Each step causes the destruction of countless potential life. Even when we see in the universe millions of species and a number, which cannot be counted, of creatures in various forms of life – then what is their ultimate goal? If you understand how things are patterned you will discover that they are made to serve man and their roles are ultimately to serve the ecology of which man needs. All this is only part of the process. Thus the number is sacrificed for the profit of quality. This is the essence of this whole plan. If billions of lives are sacrificed for the benefit of man – the superior creature/ being – in order to increase his qualities and this after taking the test/ trial – then some sacrifices are justified for this great planning of things.

'Value Your Life'

Neither the existence of man nor his presence on earth is due to chance and without purpose. Its creation is a divine decree for specific purposes. Undoubtedly, and without exaggeration, he is the only creature whom the Supreme Creator, Allah has preferred to others.

“And We have certainly honoured the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things, and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of Our creation.” (17: 71).

His superiority over other creatures occurs in different ways: Allah granted him free will, and he has a spirit that allows him to distinguish good from evil. He has also a soul which has been created by Allah and which He has breathed into him to make him human, and holder of some divine attributes.