Surah Al Fatiha on Divine Guidance

“Ihdinas Siratal Mustaqim” means: Guide us to the straight path, the path of Islam (total submission to the will of Allah), the path of Iman (faith), the path of Ihsan (where we worship Allah as if we see Him and if we cannot accede to that level then at least we realize that He sees us), the path of Taqwa (piety) as we strive to accomplish and be present in all that which Allah has commanded us to do and absent in what Allah has forbidden us to do with our mind, eyes, ears, mouth, feet, hands and every part of our body.

Allah teaches us to ask Him such a path so that we may be among those who are successful in this world and the next. And if, by the grace of God, someone comes occasionally from Him to show us the right path and guide us, and he happens to possess by God’s grace knowledge of the unknown, how do we call him, if not by the title of prophet of God?

Calling him a Muhaddath would be contrary to the dictionary meaning given to the word tahdith, word that forms the root of the word Muhaddath. Tahdith does not mean revelation of the unknown. On the contrary the word Nabuwwat has such meaning. The word Nabi is common to Arabic and Hebrew, and it is derived from the word Naba which means being endowed with divine revelation and the power of prophecy. To become an apostle of God it is not always necessary to be His Messenger or bearer of a new law coming from Him: One just needs to know the secrets of the unknown. 

Triumph of Islam: Our Obligations

Advent of the Khalifatullah

As the Khalifatullah of this era, I am telling you again and again that in our present times, Allah has not neglected this world. He has established the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and He is the one to have sent a man from among yourselves, that is, this humble servant (of Allah) who is present before you, who sits among you, talk with you and you are indeed fortunate that you are living in such a era where the divine grace is pouring down from the heavens like rain falls in the times of drought.

I tell all those who have believed in me, you are surely very blessed to be living in the times of a prophet of Allah. Therefore, pray a lot and establish brotherhood and recite a lot the Darood Shareef which is an excellent means to acquire (and strengthen) brotherhood. Do not do all this by routine. Take into consideration the great deeds which our beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has taught us and you shall receive the delicious fruits of the realisation of your supplications (duas).

Obedience and Sacrifice

Consider the example of the battle of Uhud, after the partial defeat of the Muslims just because of the disobedience which some Muslims showed against the orders of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) placed them in a place on a hill and told them come what may not to move from there, but when they perceived that the enemies were not coming their way to attack (thinking that they were moving away in defeat), they thought the orders of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) were now irrelevant. Therefore, they abandoned the instructed place. Had the Muslims placed on that hill shown strict obedience to the prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), there would not have been any defeat. We must realise the importance of the discipline when showing obedience to a prophet of Allah. To be able to see achievements/victories, one must show an example of devotion, submission and total obedience to the Elect of Allah.

The truth shall triumph and the sun of Islam shall once again rise like the first time with the advent of the noble prophet (pbuh). This sun shall reach its zenith, in all its splendour like before. The heavens can delay that victory, but we, the Sahih al Islam shall have to make many efforts in the field of spirituality and make great sacrifices of wealth and leisure. Bear this in mind and do not be dejected at all. Before the victory of Islam, we must have to suffer a lot of humiliations and disgrace. The renaissance of Islam necessitates a great sacrifice from us. What is this sacrifice? It is dying in the path of Allah and His divine teachings and verily the life of Islam shall depend on that death.

Divine Claims and the Prayer Methods

Allah the Most High has provided means for the assurance and conviction of people who are never satisfied with mere hearsay, however conclusive may be the evidence in support of it. The Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) thus prescribed prayer as a sure method to test and verify the claims of an Elect of Allah. The Promised Massih (as) advised the people:

A person should for forty consecutive days offer the following prayer with an unbiased mind, the last thing at night beseeching God in the following words:-

“Lord, if this man who claims that God has sent him to establish the Divine faith of Islam in the world, by presenting it in its true form and thus inducing men to believe in it, has in truth been sent by Thee, then I, who owing to my ignorance of real facts, am unable to arrive at a correct decision concerning the Truth, pray Thee, O Truth, that are the Fountain Head of all Truths, and O Guide, that are the Source of all guidance, and O Merciful One, that loves not to see Thy creatures troubled, make his Truth manifest unto me”. 

Divine Gaze in the Universe

The Holy Qur’an repeatedly draws our attention to the creation of human beings and other wondrous phenomena in the universe. The Sun and the Moon, the stars and the planets, the lightning and the thunderbolt, rain and shine, deserts and the seas, rivers and streams, birds and animals - all reflect the grandeur and majesty of Allah, so declares the Qur’an:

“And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them but He. And He knows whatsoever is in the land and in the sea. And there falls not a leaf but He knows it; nor is there a grain in the deep darkness of the earth, nor anything green or dry, but is recorded in a clear Book” (6:60)

The Holy Book exhorts us to apply our rational faculty and think deeply about the creation of the universe and other countless phenomena in the world. It asks us to deduct and derive appropriate lessons from the study of natural phenomena. It states: