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.

Living Faith: Bond with People

“And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, 

(Saying), 

'We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. 

We wish not from you reward or gratitude’.” (76: 9-10)

After the worship (Ibaadat) of Allah, the Quran has put much emphasis also on ‘Khidmat Khalq’, that is, Service to Humanity. Verily, these two (that is to say, the worship of Allah and love for humanity) form part of religion. Bear in mind that it’s not two different subjects, but they are actually two branches of the same tree. 

The more you understand the meaning of Ibaadat and the more you worship Allah, then automatically the more your relationship with humans also shall continue to strengthen. Therefore, these two branches grow together, side by side. It is not possible that a branch of worship (Ibaadat) of Allah grows and blooms, while the branch of relationship with humans becomes dry and leaves room for thorns, etc.

If ever it is like that, then your Ibaadat shall prove to be in vain. It also means that you have not even understood the true meaning of Ibaadat. It shall be therefore a deception on your part if you think you are trying to accomplish the Ibaadat of Allah, because the one who accomplishes Ibaadat of Allah, he has no other option than to establish good relationships with humans. So in this context Ibaadat help you a lot to develop and strengthen your relationships with humans. And this is a way to recognize a sincere Ibaadat. At least on the human level you can recognize it because you will certainly not perceive it at Allah’s level, from the standpoint of Allah. But certainly at the human level, you can easily recognize the sincere Ibaadat, and that recognition shall be possible through the exercise of excellent moral qualities. Moreover, the right treatment you do to Allah’s creatures, with the poor, with those who are in need are indeed signs to show that your Ibaadat are similarly being accepted by Allah.

End of the Year: Celebration of Vanity

December - the month of revelry

The end of the Gregorian year is drawing to a close; everyone is so busy, so much that he forgets his own soul. December is a month of great temptations. Everyone is preparing for the end of year party, because the fun and entertainment are paramount whatever the circumstance, as an excuse just to relax after a long year of hard and stressful job.

Joy or excitation reigns in the atmosphere especially when people have a lot of money. It’s time to spend the hard-earned money. Like you know, the last month of the year allows officials, employees and workers to receive their bonuses or their rewards. So they feel a desire to buy, spend. But buy what? All they have under the eyes, little everything and nothingness. This is a first sign of temptation. They buy clothes and expensive footwear, alcoholic beverages that cost thousands of rupees, they organize parties, banquets, open buffets that cost a fortune. They buy firecrackers and fireworks at very high prices. Everyone thinks to do more than the other, if not to compete for more glory.

As for the merchant/seller, he is there to attract customers and to satisfy their needs as much as possible. Often, the (market) place (or place where the sales are being done) is invaded by loud music or songs that wreck the ears. We find the men and women mixed, especially in very narrow places. Many of these Muslim traders do not perform Salat (prayer) or do not close their stores for Salat-ul-Jummah (Friday prayers); for the simple reason of not losing a single client and not to leave any money to escape from their crates.

Faith and Fellowship in Rodrigues

All my Rodriguan brothers and sisters who are present here, Assalamoualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuhu. I wish to first of all thank you for your presence, and today verily is a historical date: 07 November 2014. We are performing our Friday Sermon in Oyster Bay here in Rodrigues.

And like you all know, my stay here in Rodrigues is for the purpose of seeking a place and also for the construction of our Mosque. And by the grace of Allah, a place has been found, and the construction of the mosque is in progress, but there is also the fact that our opponents of the different religions and from the different sects in Islam are putting obstacles in our works, creating problems so that the construction work of our Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam mosque here in Rodrigues is stopped. It is unfortunate that after doing the necessities for the construction the authorities then reacted differently. It is unfortunate that despite our arrival in Rodrigues, with all the procedures done with the authorities so that we may go forward with the construction project of the mosque and our Mission House here, and to make our Jamaat function and also to have our centre, whereby our brothers and sisters can have a good place for them to perform their Jummah, their programmes and prayers in congregation regularly (therefore there are problems cropping up because of the plans of our opponents).

Another thing I have noticed. When I came here the last time, that is, some months back, I saw the enthusiasm, with the new members etc. But this time around, with this humble self’s presence in Rodrigues, I understood what evil strategies our opponents are using to stop us from propagating the unicity of Allah, to stop our progress. They are making their best in this direction. Therefore those new members who were still weak in faith, whose faith had not had an opportunity to be reinforced in the correct way – and that is why also we need a centre so that someone does this work, to give spiritual education to our members – therefore, the scheming people have seized these opportunities (to brainwash the new members) and unfortunately there are among them people who have left the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam. We have to be frank (reveal the truth). By the reports that we received they have come to know what kind of bad works the opposition have made to influence those people who had left the Jamaat. I need to stress that I am not talking of only one group of people, but this is the work of many who have participated to remove these people from the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, and we can say also from Islam altogether.

Decadence in Rodrigues society

Therefore, when I analyse all that has transpired in Rodrigues (everything has changed). I used to know Rodrigues well, how its inhabitants were nice, and used to love listening to religious speeches. It was in 1993 that I came to Rodrigues for the first time, and this continued till the year 2000. Rodrigues was a very quiet place (island). There used to be no fear to stay here. You could leave the house peacefully, leave the door open and nobody would enter to steal. We did not also hear about crimes and violence.

‘Man needs both Science and Faith’

In his Friday Sermon of 27 December 2013, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius spoke profoundly on the instrumental role of science and the intrinsic merit of a moral compass offered by faith in the construction of true humanism and social order and the perils of rigidism so as to avoid the pitfalls of blind faith and value-neutral science.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

"We have seen that science and faith, far from being contradictory, are perfectly complementary. Another question now arises: is it possible that science and faith can substitute each other whereby one takes the place of the other?

After defining the role of science and of faith, it will not be necessary either to ask this question or to answer it. It is clear that science cannot replace faith; faith which in addition to the light and power, gives us love and hope, enhances the level of our aspirations, and which moreover not only helps us in choosing goals and objectives and guide us in the way we have to go to reach, but moreover makes us change certain goals and aspirations, which instinctively and by nature, focus on individualism and self-centeredness to aspirations based on love and spiritual passion of goodness; it (faith) is an instrument at our disposal, it can transform our essence and our quiddity. Faith cannot also replace science which makes us have knowledge of nature and discover its laws, and allows us to know ourselves.

The Elixir of Truth in Divine Prophecies

March 23 is an important date in the modern history of spiritual Islam. It was on this Day in 1889 that the the Jamaat-e- Ahmadiyya was established by the Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian. [Inset: a photo from the 2005 Jalsa Salana at Qadian, which the present writer attended]. He initiated the Bai’at Programme through which devout Muslims could express their allegiance to the Divine appointee. In a special speech to mark the occasion on Saturday, 23 March 2013 the Chosen Messenger of our times, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius spoke at length about the sacred, foundational prophecies that undergird the belief about the coming of Divine Messengers/Massihs’/Mahdis’ in the Latter Days of Islam. The speech beautifully captures the essence of Divine prophecies foretold in the sacred writings of Muslims, Christians and the seers of other religious. It demonstrates how these prophecies have been fulfilled in the times of the Promised Massih (as) and also reflects on their contemporary significance. The spiritual outlook regarding the continuity of Divine revelations and the appearance of Divine Messengers in future, who will speak with the Holy Spirit, as emerging from the writings of the Promised Massih (as) and as discussed in the speech must be of special interest to devout Ahmadis.   

Read the Extracts from the Speech:

Today 23 March 2013 establishes 124 years since an event took place in the once unknown small village – Qadian – situated in the province of Punjab in India. It was an event destined to change the course of history. In Islamic literature, the Quran predicts a thousand years during which Islam will suffer an extraordinary decline.

“He regulates His command from the heaven to the earth; then shall it ascend to Him in a day the measure of which is a thousand years of what you count.” (As-Sajdah 32: 6).

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has predicted that this decline will not begin until three hundred years after his advent: “The best century is the one in which I live, then the second and the third will be good, afterwards lies will spread, truth shall disappear; cruelty, excesses, differences and divergences shall appear”. (Miskat, Bukhari & Tirmidhi).

The Heavenly Signs of Hadhrat Ahmad (as)

One of the most important beliefs among the Muslims is the appearance of Al Imam Al Mahdi in the Latter Days. The grand prophecies of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) regarding the appearance of his substitute in the Latter Days also point to the sign of solar and lunar eclipses. The appearance of the Divinely-ordained soul took place at the appointed time and the signs of celestial events also fulfilled as foretold in the holy traditions. Allah the Most High kept his side of the bargain. Yet, the world in general and the contemporary theologians in particular, rejected him. 

In his Friday Sermon of 22 March 2013, Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius reflects on the personal background of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian who was raised to the august spiritual office of Al Imam Al Mahdi by Allah the Most High, against the backdrop of the decline of the fortunes of Muslims in India and their capacity to articulate Islam’s spiritual appeal in general. In his speech, the Khalifatullah (atba) bears witness to the sublime truth of Hadhrat Ahmad (as) and further, confirms that his own Divine Mission in this era is inextricably intertwined with the Divine Mission of the Promised Massih (as) in the previous era.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

The year 1835 holds a proud place in the human calendar. During that year a child was born in Qadian, an obscure village in northern India. For generations his ancestors had ruled with distinction over the region around Qadian. Prior to his arrival even Islam fell in decline and lost much of its glory. The child who was born was not ordinary. He was intended to bring about a great revolution not only in the realm of the spirit, but also well into the realm of matter. He was born on 13 February 1835 and was named Ghulam Ahmad by his parents and later became famous under the name of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. He was appointed by God as the Messiah and Mahdi.

A Divine Warner in the Time of Calamities

Worshipping human beings and false gods have become widespread practices in many societies. The delusions of grandeur and illusions of vanity of man are deeply imprinted on his errors of omission and commission that threaten the very future of life on earth. In short, both the ‘faith’ of man and his actual deeds testify against him today. By rejecting or ignoring the path of the Supreme Being and corrupting his deeds, man invites upon himself the Divine Wrath. According to the Divine Messenger of our times, Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius, the secret wishes of an offended God will become apparent in the days to come and “He will reveal His face with majesty and terror”. In his Friday Sermon of 08 March 2013, the Khalifatullah exhorts the people to recognize the signs of the times and display sincere repentance and change of heart by following the Divine commandments and messages available today.

Read the Extracts from the FridaySermon:

I constantly think about the possibility of a decision between us and Christianity. My heart bleeds and suffers a lot when I ponder over the error of the worshipping of the dead, as there is no more painful thing than to have a humble human being worshipped by people. And this is also found in Hinduism where Hindus deify the Messengers of God and even others who are not religious. 

Zakaat and Financial Sacrifice

In his Friday Sermon of October 05, 2012 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius underscored the significance of Zakaat as one of the pillars of Islam. Financial sacrifice is needed in the noble service of humanity and for meeting the manifold expenses of the growing spiritual community of believers- the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam. Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) exhorts the community of believers to assume personal responsibility and to contribute to the larger cause of Islam.  

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“My Friday Sermon shall today have a profound connection with financial sacrifice. By the grace of Allah, the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam is doing much progress in the field of Dawa and the message is being spread in the four corners of the world, Alhamdulillah.

The message is being propagated, yes, but there are no Dai-Illallah or missionaries there (in those countries) to take care of these seekers of truth. The tree has been planted and is growing, but there is the risk of weeds coming to attack this tree, and dries it up. Why so? Because there is no gardener to care for those trees, to enable it to bloom and produce their fruits in the future. When there is a gardener, the weeds do not have the time to attack, and make this observation: that the weeds grow more in intensity and rapidly than the fruit tree. The fruit tree takes its time to grow, but when it has established itself firmly (in the soil), therefore nobody can uproot it and it brings forth lots of fruits.

‘Say A BIG NO to Birth Control’

The long term sustainability of the economic development models being pursued by various nations is under a shadow these days with multiple crises-economic, political, social and financial- afflicting even the affluent among the peoples and societies. Instead of addressing the glaring inequalities in income and wealth and the insane disparities in the resource distribution structures that under grid the modern economies, the priority of our finest minds seems to have been diverted to no less a thing than ‘playing’ God. How else would you explain the global focus on ‘birth control’ as the panacea for gross mismanagement of economies/ resource distribution patterns?! Alas, for a world that has lost its sense of proportionality and is out of ‘balance’, flawed logic, warped thinking and anti- natural policies seem to appeal more than ethical concerns.

To contain the many issues emerging out of the inequitable economic and social policies followed thus far, nations seem to have found a magical solution in population control/ birth control. Abortion and Birth Control as a conscious state policy to reduce population figures is antithetical to the spirit of life and natural growth and as such, against the Islamic values. In his Friday Sermon of June 15, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) explained at length the ethical teachings of Islam with special reference to marital life- the ways in which Islamic ethics seek to inject personal happiness, the joy of togetherness, emotional bonding and the bliss of progeny into the very special relationship between a man and his wife. Drawing on the fine metaphor of beautiful flowers, the Messenger of Allah of our times points out that children are the Roses in the garden of life and calls our attention to the traditions of the Holy Prophet (sa) who wanted to see hundreds of flowers to bloom in the garden of Muslim Ummah.

Read the extracts from the Friday Sermon:

The Other Half of Women’s ‘Freedom’

That sexual permissiveness is morally unacceptable may have been a part of the long-standing common sense in most societies. But, increasingly, such views are being challenged by people who brazenly and wantonly, ‘celebrate’ the cause of individual 'preferences' and identity 'orientations' by arguing that there is nothing deviant in being a homosexual or a lesbian for that matter. The fact is, world over, sexual permissiveness is increasingly gaining societal acceptance and public legitimacy. The language of human rights and basic freedoms are increasingly being deployed for the recognition and in the service of homosexual, bisexual, transgender and lesbian communities and also for legalising abortion and even prostitution. In this twisted world of legality,  the heinous practice of abortion is projected as a mere question of a woman’s basic right to reproductive choice.  Any perceived 'interference' by the society through regulatory laws/rules would be seen as a grotesque invasion of the right to privacy and self- determination in the private sphere!

In his Friday Sermon of June 08, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius took note of these larger societal trends in the backdrop of the recent policy debates in Mauritius on the issue of legalizing abortion.  The Divine Messenger of our times points out that all of these have profoundly negative implications for the orderly development and long-term health of societies and the human civilization's onward march.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

Brothers and sisters, you know that since Friday 04 May 2012, in the Mauritian Parliament and even before this, the government has taken the decision to legalise abortion, but after debates on the question, they (that is, the government) persisted to go forward with the legalisation of abortion in specific cases and this has been published in the newspapers here in Mauritius. Each time that the government has gone against religion and the religious leaders, and each time that the subject of abortion has become the talk of the day, as the Khalifatullah of this era, like in the past, I shall continue to rise against all things which are against the divine teachings and which are encouraging all the more the spread of sins.

Immorality is annihilating our youth, be it in Mauritius and the world as a whole. Due to the fact that some 20% of women do not want children, therefore accordingly (people of modern times or government) seem to think that abortion must be legalised. I warn you: Do not invite the punishment of Allah on this small island, and I warn also the other countries who have legalised (or in the process of legalising) abortion.

The Road to Spiritual Progress

The path to attain nearness to the Lord Almighty is narrow and slippery. One needs to traverse it through prayer, patience and concentration. One can evolve spiritually by establishing a firm relationship and bond of love with the Guided Ones who are sent by Allah the Most High from time to time. Listening to them and following their noble precepts and practices are absolutely essential for those who seek true guidance. This way one will gain right and correct belief which are free from blemishes and mythical haze. In his Friday Sermon of 11 May 2012, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius underscored the struggles involved in attaining spiritual progress and offered special guidance on how to proceed on this sublime path.

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

“According to Islam, our beautiful and perfect religion, the only spiritual way is that of prayer and concentration. But time is needed for a person to benefit from this because until a relationship takes deep roots and a bond of love is created, its effects cannot be felt. The way of guidance is only through prayer and concentration.

It is God’s rule of nature that every spirit requires a physical mould. When such a mould is ready, a spiritual form is breathed into it automatically. It is an essential objective that you should gradually gain acquaintance with the reality which God has opened to me in the capacity of Khalifatullah of this era. There are many errors in the beliefs which have common currency among the ordinary people of Islam and also in Jamaat Ahmadiyya and these errors have arisen as a result of intermingling with the Christians. But now God has wished that the pure and bright face of Islam be shown to the world, that is, the Sahih al Islam. Clarity of beliefs is very essential for spiritual progress. The clearer the beliefs, the greater will be the progress.

Prayer and concentration are needed in this struggle because the true reality is hidden from some people by the veil of their negligence, from others by their prejudice and yet some others are kept away from it because they have no devotion to the people of truth. However, without God’s help these veils cannot be lifted and that is why prayer and concentration are needed. Ever since the system of prophethood has been instituted, it has been the case that mere talk cannot lead to any progress. It is always prayer and devoted concentration which prove beneficial.

Points for Preaching of Islam

As a religion and spiritual order, Islam offers comprehensive ethical and moral guidance on all aspects of life in its varied facets. And a Muslim will be able to find solutions within the framework of the teachings of Islam to the many problems he or she is confronted with. This can be done even without injecting ideas and processes antithetical to the Islamic perspective (Bid’ah) by seeking to equip oneself with the correct knowledge of Islam. Apart from practicing Sahih Al Islam, a Muslim ought to share the richness of the Islamic path- “beauty, rationality, practicality and completeness”- and its innate ability to appeal to the human mind with all of mankind. 

In his Friday Sermon of March 09, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius gave a discourse on how to conduct the preaching of Islam and underscored certain points to keep in mind in Dawa.

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

(1) Planning

Dawa requires effective planning and strategy formulation. We should never do Dawa by haste. We have to plan it out very carefully with deliberation. We have to plan how to do Dawa to various kinds of peoples coming from different backgrounds. We need to plan especially if we are organizing Dawa for groups through lectures or seminars. We have to plan ahead of time, plan for the theme, topics, venue, time particulars, speakers concerned. We have to consider planning what to say and how to say it. As Dai-Illallah, it is imperative for us to plan but we have to acknowledge that Allah is the Best of planners like mentioned in the following verses of the Holy Quran:

“And the disbelievers planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners.” (3: 55) and “But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.” (8: 31)

Thus, we have to pray for His help to bless our plan, our Dawa because “When He decrees a plan, He only says to it, ‘Be’, and it is!” (3: 48); and that,  “He does command according to His will and plan”. (5: 2)

(2) Inviting people with Hikma (wisdom) and beautiful preaching. 

Allah the Almighty commands us, so that we can be successful Dai-Illallah. Allah says:

“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is (rightly) guided.” (16: 126)

'Feel Welcome, O Ramadan!'

[Alhamdulillah, on 02 August 2011, LE MAURICIEN Newspaper, published from Mauritius, carried an article by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) on Fasting in Islam against the backdrop of the fast-approaching holy month of Ramadan under the Islamic Calendar. We are reproducing the article here for the special attention and benefit of all seekers of spiritual treasures].

The most desired guest for the believers is the Holy Month of Ramadan. Believers are commanded to welcome this special guest with fear of God in their heart and purity of mind and soul. The Almighty (Allah) says in the Holy Quran: “O you who believe, fasting is decreed for you, as it was decreed for those before you, that you may attain salvation.” (Chapter 2; Verse 184).

First of all, what is Fasting? In Quran and Hadiths the word defining Fasting is “Sawm” which means “to abstain”. In our current language, this means that we must not drink or eat, and abstain from sexual relations from the beginning of dawn till sunset. Fasting existed even before the advent of Islam, for all people before Islam received divine commandments to fast, even if the quantity and quality of the different fasts were not the same.

Fasting is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam. The first pillar being the Shahada (Attestation of Faith), the second being Salaat (Prayer), the third being Sawm (Fasting – especially in the month of Ramadan where it is obligatory for a believer except if one is ill, on a long journey, and for the ladies who are in their menses, or pregnant or are breastfeeding their babies), then afterwards come Zakaat and Hajj.

Khalifatul Massih as ‘Alimul Ghayb’

Any one who objectively, impartially, unemotionally and dispassionately examines the mindset of the contemporary Ahmadi Muslims will be struck by the long shadow of blind faith engulfing the landscape of Jamaat-e- Ahmadiyya. Several dimensions of this are unmistakably apparent in the every day lives of the believers. First, in their quest for absolute obedience to their Khalifa, they are willing to suspend reason and rationality and stoop to the extent of committing Shirk. Secondly, they venerate their Khalifa so much that they fail to recognize the pitfalls involved. Thirdly, even as they enter into schemes brought in by their Khulafa, they do not realize what they are doing! 

In a recent speech, Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius illustrated these points with glaring examples of this unfortunate scenario within the mainstream Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, who cliams the sole and exclusive legacy of the Promised Massih (as):

1.      Concerning absolute obedience to their Khalifa:

Once the 4^th Khalifa Mirza Thahir Ahmad Sahib said not to use any aluminium recipients to cook food, and therefore all Ahmadi Muslims in Mauritius threw away their own aluminium recipients so as to buy new costly “AMC” recipients so as to cook food. There were even some who contracted debts (taking credit and paying interest) so as to buy these new recipients. After some years, all of these Ahmadi Muslims reverted back to their use of aluminium recipients!

This is the mentality of the Ahmadi Muslims in Mauritius whereby they take the words of their Khalifa as more important than the Qur’anic verses and the words of the Holy Prophet (sa). If this is not a Shirk, then what is this? 

Trials of Faith and the Duty of the Believer

Test of character is a recurring theme in spiritual experience and religious history. The Holy Qur’an repeatedly warns believers to be constantly on the alert and to examine their own inner urges and external stimulations at crossroads of conscience. The experiences of disciples at the time of God’s Messengers such as Moses (as), Jesus (as) and Muhammad (sa) point to the complex questions and forces at work in social circumstances.

While faith is a framework to look for directions, it is important for believers to be cautious: You never know which way channels of vanity and material interests may overcome pure belief and corrupt your faith in God and in the manifestation of Divine favour among yourselves. Thus, in addition to fervent supplication of prayers, the believer must also distrust the human intellect and its vagaries or in any case, be critically aware of one's own subjectivity. In a speech delivered after Esha Prayers on June 10, 2011, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib reflected on this profound subject.

Read from the extracts: