Eid-ul-Adha: Prophetic Traditions

Insha-Allah, we celebrate the Eid-ul-Adha on Sunday 05 October 2014. Therefore, in today’s Friday Sermon, I shall put before you some Hadiths which has connection with the Eid-ul-Adha.

Abdullah ibn `Abdul-Rahman ibn Abza from his father (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say in the morning and in the evening: “We wake up on pure Islam, the word of Tawhid (monotheism) and on the religion of our Prophet Muhammad (peace b upon him) and on the religion of our father Ibrahim (Abraham) who was purely a Muslim and never was from the polytheists.”(Ahmad) 

Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) recited out loud : “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik, Labbaik Laa Sharika Laka Labbaik, Innal Hamda wan-Ni’mata Laka wal Mulk, Laa Sharika Laka” – (Translation) I respond to Your call O Allah, I respond to Your call, and I am obedient to Your orders, You have no partner, I respond to Your call All the praises and blessings are for You, All the sovereignty is for You, And You have no partners with you. – He cried out that attestation of the unity of God (that is, the Talbiya) and that is all. (Bukhari & Ahmad)

Hazrat Shaddad ibn Aws (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to recite this supplication (duah) in his Salat(prayer): “O Allah, I ask You for steadfastness in keeping Your command. And I ask You for firmness of resolution in (pursuing) the right path…” Therefore, even for doing good deeds, pursuing the right path, there cannot be ‘firmness of resolution’ without duahs (supplication to Allah).

Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the one who showed the most firmness and perseverance and also he used to seek the help of Allah through prayer/supplications to Allah (duah), and he sought guidance, that is, the right path, intelligence and perspicacity. This is what is called ‘Rusht’ (the ability to distinguish good and evil). 

“...And I ask You (enablement) to be thankful for Your favours and to worship You in the best way. And I ask You for a truthful tongue and ‘Qalbi Saleem’ (a sound heart)…”

Now, nobody has received a purer heart than Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) and there has not been any person who has been more truthful than him on earth. Therefore, in this way, we can correctly say that it is Allah who gives the ‘Qawli Sadid’(clear/truthful speech), ‘Qawli Salim’ (pure speech) and ‘Rusht’ (the ability to distinguish good and evil), otherwise there is no other means to acquire all these!

Then Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “…And I seek refuge in You from the mischief that You know and I ask You for the good that You know. And I seek Your forgiveness for (sins) that You know Indeed, You are the Best Knower of the unseen.”

The Restatement of Islam for Our Times

Angels and Divine Revelations

Angels are a part of Allah’s creation, they do what they are commanded, they depend on Allah in the same way as men or His other creatures. Allah is not dependent on them for the manifestation of His power. Had He willed, He would have created the universe without angels, but His perfect wisdom willed their creation. So angels came into being. Allah created light for the eye and bread for hunger. He created light and bread not because He was in need of them but because man was in need of them. The angels only manifest the will and wisdom of Allah. 

Divine Revelations are words and instructions from Allah and Allah speaks to His chosen servants and reveals to them His purpose. The recipient provides neither the meaning nor the words of revelation. Both come from Allah. Revelation provides real sustenance for man. Man lives by it and through it, man comes to have contact with Allah. The words, which embody a revelation of God, are unique in their power and majesty. No man can coin such words. They carry treasures of knowledge and wisdom, and they are very deep in meaning. They are like a mine the stone of which is the more valuable the deeper you dig. Indeed, a mine is nothing compared with divine revelation. A mine can be exhausted, but not the wisdom of divine revelation.

Divine Revelation is like a sea with a scented surface and a bed strewn with the most precious pearls. Those, who turn to the surface, enjoy the fragrance of the surface, and those, who dive deep, find the pearls below. Revelation is of many kinds, sometimes it consists of ordinances and laws, sometimes of exhortations. Sometimes it brings knowledge of the unseen, sometimes knowledge of spiritual truths. Sometimes it conveys the goodwill and approval of Allah, sometimes His disapproval and displeasure, sometimes His love and regard, sometimes warnings and rebukes. Sometimes it teaches points in morals, sometimes His insight into secret evils. In short, our belief is that God communicates His will to His servants. These communications vary with circumstance and the spiritual status of the recipient.

Spiritual Darkness and the Mahdis (the Guided Ones)

When darkness prevails in the world and human beings sink deep in sin and evil, when without the help of God it becomes difficult for them to release themselves from the hold of Satan, then out of His mercy and beneficence, Allah chooses from out of His own loving and loyal servants, those whom He charges with the duty to guide the world.

Ahmadi Elites and the Politics of Boycott

‘Will a Mujaddid come after You?’

A man asked this pertinent question to the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) on 29 September 1905, before noon. And he [the Promised Messiah] replied: 

“What is wrong with a Mujaddid coming after me? The prophethood of Moses (as) had come to an end, and that is why his chain of successors ended with Jesus (as). However, the dispensation of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) will last till the Day of Judgment through the Mujaddidin who will arise in it till the Day of Judgment. As long as the Day of Judgment withholds its destruction, there is no doubt that someone else could come. We most certainly do not deny that good and righteous people will continue to come, and then all of a sudden the Day of Judgment will come.” ( Ruhani Khaza’in, p. 16180 , Malfoozat. volume 4, page 452; (2008 edn.)       

  

Despite the existence and vital presence of this important instruction from the Promised Massih (as) in his writings, endorsed by the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya through its own series of publications, the Ahmadi scholars today challenge common sense. They assault the intellects of Ahmadis and their spiritual expectations. The Ulema and the chiefs declare with their own mouths that no Mujaddid will ever come, even in a new century of Islam. They, thus, foreclose the possibility of any discussion on spiritual blessings possible in this age. The hedonistic elites of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in Mauritius enforce the policy of intimidation and social stigma on those who wish to know about the new Divine Manifestation.  

I ask these arrogant people who are taking themselves as great scholars in the Jamaat Ahmadiyya : Where have they seen that they must establish boycott? Is there a Quranic verse which stipulates to boycott someone who receives divine revelations and those who have believed in the revelations which he is receiving from Allah, and to expel them from the Jamaat Ahmadiyya and boycott them?

Prove this to me, or even show me a Hadith on this subject. Prove if you can, and prove also if even their family members had to break ties (of kinship) with them and not to greet them Salam and not to invite them. What law have they applied? The Quranic law? The rulings of Hazrat Muhammad ^(saw) and Hazrat Massih Ma’ud ^(as)? The law of the country?

Rule by Family Elites in the Mauritius Jamaat

Or have they invented their own laws to make people fear them, because the Jamaat Ahmadiyya of Mauritius is governed by only a handful of families:  Taujoo, Jowahir, Sookia etc.? As if there exist no other people in this Jamaat who can take care of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Mauritius.

Years go by, new years come, the same people are found at the head of the Jamaat! In the several programmes also, they are the ones to come forward to get honour, as if there are no other wise people, even better than them, who can come and address them on the question of religion! This is a Jamaat which is managed only by a handful of families, family feelings!

‘Jesus is in the Third Heaven’

Religious beliefs sometimes have a tendency to challenge common sense. Thus, the Christians hold the belief that the founder of their religion, i.e., Jesus, Son of Mary is the literal ‘Son of God’. Likewise, defying gravity, logic of reason and experience of history, sections of the Muslims continue to hold the belief that the Prophet Jesus (as) is still ‘alive’, two millennium after his birth and they say that he would physically descend in our times among the Muslims as their Imam!

     

No doubt, in the Muslim spiritual tradition, Jesus (as) is one of the great messengers of the Almighty, celebrated along with Hadhrat Muhammad (sa). However, the ‘belief’ on or the myth of, a physically alive Jesus crept into Islam/among the Muslims in the medieval period when the influx of Christians into Islam led to a mixing of ‘cultures’ and the dogmas of the Christians found their way into, replacing the traditional Muslim understanding on the matter, shaped by the Qur’an and taught by the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa). In a special Sermon delivered on September 07, 2013 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius throws searching light on the physical death of Jesus (as), as emerging from the express Qur’anic verses and the opinions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) on the matter.    

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:

Fa lammaa tawaffay tanii kunta ‘Antar-Raqiiba ‘alayhim: wa ‘Anta ‘alaa kulli shay-‘in Shahiid.

But when You cause me to die, You were the Guardian over them, and You are, over all things, Witness. (Al-Maida 5: 118)

Death and life are not alike. If God has given us life, He also decreed death for us, humans, and all living creatures that He has placed in the universe. And verily, in death, there is life and in life, there is death.

Reading the Holy Qur’an

The Holy Qur’an is the central text of Islam and it has a cherished position in the lives of the Muslims. By learning and reciting the verses of the holy text in its classical Arabic on a regular basis since childhood, devout Muslims develop a poignant and intimate relation with it. Yet, the fact remains that the Qur’an is a complex text: the verses are inter-related and interconnected and were revealed in a specific context. What it actually says is shrouded in veils of assumptions and opinions as the Sacred Text is often quoted to derive or invoked in support of directly contradictory meanings.

In his Friday Sermon of May 17, 2013 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius gave a profound discourse on the underlying norms and principles applicable for both believers and truth seekers in developing an interpretative relationship with the Qur’an. Purity of heart, an open mind capable of perceiving the larger truth, an understanding of the Divine scheme of things for the world, sincere striving in pursuit of the sublime meaning of the Divine verses-all these are essential starting points, indicates the Messenger of Allah of our times.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“This is an honourable Quran; in a protected record. None can grasp it except those pure; a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.” (56: 78-81)

Heaven and Hell and the DIVINE WILL

One of the questions that many people raise is this: what will be done to the people who reject the Divine Message of an era and His Messengers? 

The grandeur of the Divine scheme of things is such that the unique Lord, the Almighty Allah, does what He wills. His Mercy and Forgiveness encompass the whole world so much so that He may forgive whomsoever He wants. And no one can question Him as to what He does. The practical operations of the Divine Will, thus, remains for the most part, shrouded as a matter of profound mystery. Except, of course, what He teaches and informs His Messengers through the angels and the Spirit of Holiness. Even His Messengers had only the duty to convey what had been conveyed to them. They had also been instructed to openly declare that they would not know about what would be done to them in this life or in the life to come.

It is plausible to consider that that people might have failed to recognize the Divine Message as a consequence of the complex circumstances and varied conditions of social life of their times.  The limits of our awareness at a humane level to factor in all those colours of human situations through our myopic eyes can and will blur our vision of reality. The essential un-know-ability of the Divine Will also must be kept in mind while interpreting the mystical, spiritual ideas such as fear of Hell and hope for Heaven and salvation of the believers and the damnation of the disbelievers,

In his Friday Sermon of 07 September 2012, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius shared some light on the meaning of these concepts for the benefit of our everyday life. The discourse of the Messenger of Allah of our times deeply underscores the limits of human knowledge to comprehend the Divine Will. He exhorts us to “remain ever at the service of God and humanity also so that you may earn not this world, but everlastingness through your devotion to God”.  

'Taqwah': Meaning and Essence

In his special sermon on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on August 20, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim(atba) of Mauritius gave a discourse on the most important quality a Muslim aspires to acquire: TAQWA.

Read the Extracts from the Eid Sermon:

“...When a person does a good deed, he must do so only for the pleasure of Allah. That person must have the Taqwa, that is, piety, righteousness.  Of what essence is that Taqwa? If you ask somebody on the street, what is that piety (Taqwa), he shall be embarrassed to give you an answer. And if you tell him that it means becoming pious, he can open wide his eyes or laugh at you. In his ignorance, when he hears those words, he can laugh it off. Therefore it must be understood that Taqwa is the master of words, a key word in Islam. Taqwa designates a virtue, a quality which is precise and well appreciated by Allah the Almighty.

Islam: Responsibilities of the Youth

In his Friday Sermon of 24 August 2012, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius addressed the youth of Islam and exhorted them to seize the extraordinary opportunity they have in creatively utilizing their enthusiasm, courage and youthful zeal in the advancement of the Divine cause of our times.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

The progress of God’s work in all areas requires enthusiasm, courage and youthful zeal. To plan and execute with clarity with a firm hand, we need new energy. Thus Allah (the Exalted) desires that young people contribute to the advancement of His cause.

He invites young men and girls to devote their strength to Him. The use of their faculties, the liveliness of spirit and the strength of their actions, glorify Allah (the Exalted) and bring salvation to their fellow men. I have a strong interest for the Youth, and I love to see them fight for the development of the character of the Muslims, the Sahih al Islam – Islam in its perfection – and strive, by diligent study and fervent prayers, to obtain the necessary preparation for the cause of God in a proper manner. I ardently desire that our young people help each other to achieve a higher level in the experience of Islam.

Laila-tul- Qadr and Mujaddid

A living, thriving spiritual role model is a psychological and emotional need of all human beings. For, humans are genetically programmed, as it were, with an innate capacity to rise above their mundane self and seek to reach their Creator. Without the light of Divine revelation and clear spiritual guidance and leadership in every age, men are prone to fall into trials and tribulations, error and sin, evil and misdeeds. As a religion designed and perfected by the Creator Himself, Islam offers the possibility of meeting this easily recognizable, almost inherent quest of humankind for perpetual Divine guidance. 

The appearance of a Mujaddid/ Muhaddith/ Muhyi-ud-Din /Khalifatullah/ Massih is indeed based on the glad tidings vouchsafed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) in this regard. Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that the Holy prophet Muhammad (sa) said; “Allah shall raise for this Ummah at the head of every century a man who shall renew (or revive) for it its religion."  [Sunan Abu Dawood, Book 37: Kitab al-Malahim [Battles], Hâdith Number 4278]. In its own way, the appearance of a Mujaddid to teach the Holy Book and to illuminate the Divine path confirms an enduring practice of Allah the Most High- the raising of His Messengers in every age, among every people, in every land.

The mystical phenomena of Divine revelations and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Night of Majesty (or Laila-tul-Qadr) is a theme with profound spiritual connotations and has inextricable linkages with the appearance of a Divinely-raised soul in Islam. In his Friday Sermon of August 17, 2012,  Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius offers an illuminating commentary on the subtle, deeper meanings of Laila-tul- Qadr for our times.

I'ithikaaf and Laila-tul-Qadr

In an article published in the Mauritius-based news paper Le Mauricien on 14 August 2012 Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) explained the significance of the last Ten days of the Fasting Month of Ramadan for the spiritual life of the believers. Drawing upon Qur’anic promises and Prophetic traditions and the long-established Muslim practice of going into a spiritual retreat (I’ithikaaf) in those days, the messenger of Allah of our times exhorts Muslims to “do plenty of acts of worship which shall earn him (or her) the pleasure of Allah”.   

For the benefit of our esteemed readers, we are reproducing the article below:

Our Muslim brothers and sisters have prepared themselves to go into retreat during the ten last days of Ramadan to seek the “Laila-tul-Qadr” (that is, the Night of Destiny). They are into retreat in the Mosque, and are in another state of mind to concentrate themselves wholly on such acts of worship as the obligatory prayers, the voluntary prayers, the remembrance of Allah, reading of the Holy Quran and even devoting them to the learning of Deen and working for the spread of the message of Allah. In a nutshell, they shall do such acts which shall profit both their soul and Islam, be it in this world and the hereafter.

What is the Laila-tul-Qadr? 

Both the Quran and Sunnah provide us an insight into the meaning of such a night and its impact on the lives of Muslims. In the Holy Quran, Allah says: 

“Surely, We have revealed it (that is, the Qur'an) during the Night of Destiny. And what will make you understand what the Night of Destiny is? The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by the command of their Lord, with the divine order on everything. All is peace until the appearance of dawn.” (Chapter 97, verses 2-6)

Traditions relate that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was on his way to inform the Muslims of the date of the Night of Destiny, when he encountered two persons who were quarrelling, and thus because of that interruption, he forgot its specific date. He expressed hope that it was good for Muslims. His noble wife, Hazrat Aisha (ra) informs us: “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to go in seclusion in the mosque during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan, saying 'Look for the Night of Destiny in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.'” (Bukhari and Muslim). So, the possible nights for this blessed night are the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th.

Ramadan and the “Lay-latul-Qadr”

“The month of Ramadan is that which the Quran was revealed.” (2: 186). The holy month of Ramadan carries with it the Divine promise of a thousand blessings for the believers. Believers seek to attain nearness to Allah the Most High in this holy month by engaging in a lot of Zikr, Tilawat Quran and Salaat / Namaz (both Farz and Nawafil). In his Friday Sermon of 10 August 2012, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba)of Mauritius explained the special blessings of Ramadan by linking it with Surah Al- Qadr, the 97^th Chapter of the Holy Qur’an. The Khalifatullah, then, explains the Holy Prophet’s practice of offering Tarawih prayers in Ramadan and clarifies its relation with the Tahajjud prayers and also the number of Rakaat in Tarawih prayers by describing the historical/special circumstances in which Hadhrat Umar (ra) asked for additional prayers to be offered in Ramadan.    

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. Surely We revealed it on the Night of Majesty; And what will make you understand what the Night of Majesty is? The Night of Majesty is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by the permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.” (97: 1-6)

In this Qur’anic chapter Al-Qadr (97), it is stated that the period when the Holy Quran was being revealed was a time of great blessings and the reward for worship, righteous actions and other efforts for the sake of religion that could have been attained at that time cannot be paralleled in any other age. The pronoun “hu” (it) in anzalnahu (we revealed it) refers to the revelation of the Holy Quran on the Night of Majesty.

Elsewhere in the Holy Quran it is mentioned: “The month of Ramadan is that which the Quran was revealed.” (2: 186). This tells us that the Night of Majesty is in the month of Ramadan. According to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), it is one of the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan, that is, it is either the 21^st, 23^rd, 25^th, 27^th or 29^th night. It has been called the Night of Majesty because it is a great grandeur and honour and which man should value with total respect and reverence. There is no doubt that the night in which the Holy Quran was revealed – an extraordinary gift and an incomparable Book of guidance to mankind – should be regarded with the highest honour and respect.

‘Forgo Shirk and Bid’ah in Ramadan’

[This is the second and final installment of the special video message delivered by the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) on the 10^th day of Ramadan, on July 30, 2012. The first part of the essay was published here at the Sahih Al Islam Blog on August 02, 2012 and is available at:  http://sahih-al-islam.blogspot.in/2012/08/a-ramadan-in-times-of-elect-of-allah.html ].

Unfortunately many Muslims today have a bad conception of fasting and the activities of the faster. They stay as in a state of hibernation and spend most of their time in bed. If they come to fear Allah, they stand only for the hours of prayers (Salat) and then they go to sleep again. This sleep makes them become lazy. And their (spiritual) activities decrease. Ramadan is a time of intense activity for the true believers, who will gladly deny food and drink, and make enormous efforts in the path of Allah.

Moreover, a thing of concern for us today is the innovation in the Iftaar of the believer, that is, the breaking of the Fast. Nowadays Muslims brothers and sisters are making the Iftaar become a feast, a moment of excessive rejoice and eating and drinking. The Iftaar of the faster should have been simple for the breaking of the fast is an act of Ibaadat (worship).

This practice to make a feast out of the Iftaar in the month of Ramadan are known to occur nowadays in the Muslim Arab countries, and it is most unfortunate that in a little island like Mauritius this practice has become widespread among the other Jamaats.

Recently on my Dawa mission, I have met Muslim brothers and it is sad to see that now they are losing their valuable time in preparation of great “Iftaari” or Iftaar party. It is a shame for the Muslims to have reached such a point that the blessed norms of the month of Ramadan are not respected at all. Muslims automatically fast and rejoice excessively at the breaking of the fast.

It is known that our Nabi Kareem (saw) has encouraged the believers to break the fast really quickly and to go to perform their Maghrib prayer as soon as possible after the Iftaar, for it is a joy for the faster to break his fast and meet with his Lord. But to make a feast out of it? This is indeed out of the question!

Fasting and Travelling: Prophetic Traditions

DURING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN, believers are generally expected to observe fasting in normal circumstances. Many of them, however, may have to go on regular travels as part of their everyday life routine. Arduous journeys may also have to be undertaken by some people and fasting on such occasions may entail hardship for the persons concerned. Some of them, may have a health situation that necessitates continuous medication. Islam takes into account these diverse physical and health conditions of the believers and it offers the possibility of replacing the missing fasts with an equal number of days in other/ better times. Both the Holy Qur’an and the noble practice of the Holy Prophet (sa) affirm the exceptions under special circumstances. In his Friday Sermon of July 27, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius explained at length the essential wisdom of these benign teachings of Islam.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“And whoever is ill or on a journey - then (to replace the missed fasts) an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.” (2: 186)

In this verse of the Holy Quran, Almighty Allah is referring to the travellers and the sick people. Allah says: “And whoever is ill or on a journey - then (to replace the missed fasts) an equal number of other days.” (2: 186)

A traveller who sets on a journey within a distance which enables him not to shorten his prayer, he can either fast or not fast and replace the missing fast or fasts afterwards, but if he sees that he is able to fast, then he can fast.

Ramadan: Pillars of Fasting

In his Friday Sermon of 20 July 2012, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim(atba) of Mauritius explained the spiritual significance of fasting, especially in the holy month of Ramadan. Drawing upon the Qur’anic prescriptions and prophetic traditions on this issue, Hadhrat Sahib (atba) identifies, in his speech, the main pillars of Fasting.   

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous. (2: 184)

The definition of Siyaam, Sawm, Roza or fast, means to abstain from something. Allah makes us understand this meaning well from the Holy Quran, where He cites the example of Mary (upon her be peace) who said:

‘I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention (that is, silence), so I will not speak today to (any) man.’ (19: 27)

When one reads these verses and reflect on each of them, one shall see that as a matter of fact, this is an act of worship which the believer does with sincerity for the sake of Allah alone whereby he abstain from food, drink and also sexual relations among other things. While these were legal for him during the other months, but while encountering the month of Ramadan, he has to abstain from these same things from dawn to dusk only for the pleasure of Allah. He does this only for His Rab and Allah gave him this instruction; and these commandments were revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and were later compiled into Book form – a perfect book wherein there is no doubt and which is a guide only for the righteous. This book is none other than the Holy Quran, and Allah says in that same Holy Book:

"The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was sent down as guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and discrimination. Therefore, whosoever of you is present (at home) in this month, let him fast therein..." (2: 186)

And in the same verse, Allah says : 

"Allah desires (to give) you facility and He desires not hardship for you, and that you may complete the number, and that you may exalt Allah for His having guided you and that you may be grateful". (2: 186)

In section 23 of the second chapter (Al-Baqara), Allah the Almighty has guided the believers on how to observe the fast and what are its rulings. And if a Muslim follows these commandments to the letter and makes it a must to understand the importance and the benefits of fasting, then he shall derive many rewards from it. 

Body Hygiene: Prophetic Traditions

ISLAM places much emphasize upon cleanliness. Purity of the body, mind and the soul are inextricably intertwined in Islam, for physical cleanliness is central to spiritual purity. In his Friday Sermon of 13 July 2012, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) of Mauritius explained the Prophetic traditions on body hygiene and respect for the natural environment in the wider context of leading a healthy and long life in the Islamic way.

Drawing upon his own close study and analysis of the subject, the Khalifatullah observes: “[t]he absence of tobacco and alcohol consumption, consumption of five fruits and vegetables daily, physical exercise half an hour a day can contribute to the prolongation of life. Certainly it is the cleansing of the body, whether of our internal systems and our soul which each contributes to make us human beings capable of living a long life, according to the will of God in good physical, moral and spiritual health...”

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“The human being who lives temporarily on earth will be compensated after his death according to his beliefs, his actions as well as his intentions. In Islam, acts of goodness not only reveal the spiritual and cultural, but they (also) concern different aspects of man’s life.

Islam has taught rules under the name which is now commonly called hygiene. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) said: “Ten things are part of (what the human being does by) natural predisposition: trimming his moustache, keeping the beard, brushing the teeth, rinsing his nostrils, trimming his nails, washing his finger joints, removing the hair of the armpits, shaving the pubic hair, using water after relieving him (after going to the toilet), and (one link in the chain of transmission says he remembers the tenth thing vaguely, that is) rinsing his mouth.” (Reported by Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, An-Nasaa’i)

According to other links in the chain of transmission, the tenth thing is circumcision. In another famous Hadith reported by Muslim, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) considers purification as being half of faith. So we see that Islam has put much emphasis on how Muslims must cultivate a healthy (clean) lifestyle.

Islamic Way: Secret of a Long Life

"Any one who wants to have his provision expanded,

 his term of life prolonged and for people to speak well of him

 should maintain ties of kinship" 

                                                                                        - Prophet Muhammad (sa)

In his Friday Sermon of May 04, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius spoke about the practical ordinances of Islam to be kept in mind in our everyday lives. Islam detests idleness and forbids practices such as usury that breeds and perpetuates a culture of idleness and irresponsibility. On the contrary, it envisions the believers as a community of people devoted to constant personal improvement in their spiritual states and collective progress in material conditions. The very lifestyles and priorities on every single day of their lives will reflect this enduring commitment to individual enterprise and collective growth. 

The believers are to strive for excellence in their chosen fields of occupation or profession so that the world may benefit from their work. Their charity, generosity and service will embrace not just family and kin, but will extend to neighbours and strangers as well. Thus, the Muslim becomes a source from which flow virtue, goodness and peace which everyone around him shall benefit.  ‘That which benefits the people endures in the earth’, says the Holy Qur’an. Adhering to the Islamic way has beneficial consequences, including possibly, a long and productive life, asserts the Messenger of Allah.   

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

The Muslim, if he wants that Allah grants him a long life, must comply with the scheme of everyday life as prescribed by Islam. This requires, inter alia, that the Muslim wakes up early and goes to bed early. The Muslim begins his day at dawn at least, before daybreak. And he welcomes his morning by being pure, before the afternoon catches up with him, full of weaknesses, shortcomings and even sins. This is why our beloved Saviour, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) showed us that we must come what may, and in any situation seek God’s forgiveness for the soul is prone to evil, except that which Allah protects against the ravages of Satan. Therefore, Muslims greet their day early, and this is the virtue praised by the Holy Prophet (sa) when he wished them prosperity and abundance in these times, “Allah bless the precocity of mine (that is, my people).”

What Ails Islam Today ?

Enjoining good and forbidding evil is one of the primary obligations of the believers in Islam. It is indeed a very firm pillar of Islam upon which the branches of faith are held. Yet today, the different groups within the Ummah have turned this pillar of faith on its head. They viciously compete among themselves for forbidding good and enjoining evil. They leave a trail of blood of fellow Muslim brothers murdered in the streets and even in the Mosques. In his Friday Sermon of April 13, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius continued his magisterial survey on the spiritual ailments that afflict the Islamic world today. ‘True Muslims have become rare’, observes the Messenger of Allah. Drawing upon the sacred traditions of the Holy Prophet (sa), the Khalifatullah shows how the Ahmadiyya Community and the wider Islamic world have drifted away from the quintessential spirit of the religion.  

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

“...I shall put before you a Hadith reported by Hazrat Aisha (ra): 

“The Messenger of Allah (sa) came (home) and from the expression on his blessed face, I understood that something was wrong. He did not utter any word. After performing his ablution, he went directly to the Mosque. I (Aisha) also went near the wall of the Mosque to listen to what he had to say. The Messenger of Allah (sa) stood up on the pulpit and after praising Allah, said: 

“O Muslims, Allah has ordered you to enjoin good and forbid evil, otherwise a time shall come when you shall invoke (Allah), and He (Allah) shall not respond, you shall ask a favour of Him (Allah) and He shall not give you and you shall seek help from Him and He shall refuse.” (Targhib)

In another Hadith, Hazrat Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah has said: “When my community shall begin to give much more importance to this (temporal) world over the next world, and consider it as a source of honour, fear (of God) and the value of Islam shall disappear from their hearts. When you shall stop enjoining good and forbid evil, you shall be deprived from the blessings of revelation, and when each shall criticise one another, you shall fall into disgrace in the sight of Allah.” (Hakim)

Therefore, from these two Hadiths which I have put before you, it is clear that when you leave this message which is to be put into practice, that is “Amr bil Ma’ruf wa nahi anil Munkar” (Enjoin good and forbid evil), it is a fact that this is the primary reason which has brought about the wrath, displeasure and curse of Allah (on Muslims).

‘Days Shall Testify For or Against Man’

“A century or ten, 

After we are all gone! 

Who thinks of night at dawn?”

-so ruminated the famous medieval Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh in one of his philosophical writings. Death is inevitable and unavoidable; it brings the curtain down even on the lives of the high and the mighty. A profound awareness about the vanishing of all our human agenda in this transient world may give one a sense of perspective on what to value and cherish and what to ignore and avoid.

As a spiritual order, Islam offers profound guidance on how to practically navigate our time in this slippery universe. The Prophetic traditions underscore the accountability of one and all to Allah the Almighty for all the blessings He graciously bestows on us. Believers ought to live with a wider consciousness and awareness about their manifold responsibilities and immortalise their days with the best of works. In his Friday Sermon of April 20, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius profoundly reflected on some of these themes. Life is transient and the lost moment never comes back. So, value your youth and health and knowledge and wealth before it all fades away. Respect your time and do good deeds so that the journey to the Hereafter becomes agreeable when it comes, exhorts the Messenger of Allah.

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

“It is a divine blessing to have the heart rid of all afflictions and likewise to have the body free from all diseases. However men are deprived from this, as it is evident from this saying of the Holy Prophet (sa): “There are two blessings in which people are cheated: health and leisure time.” Thus, the Holy Prophet (sa) refers to people's attitudes to these two favours. They do not value them as they should; so much so that their free time is lost without being operated for the benefit of the affairs of their religion and their lives. That is the worst loss.

To urge the Muslim to enjoy his free time, to exploit every moment of his life and not to waste it, the Holy Prophet (sa) said “the feet of any human being will not move (from their place before the Lord) on the Day of Resurrection, before he answers to four questions: 1. What did he do during his life? 2. On what has he spent his youth? 3. Where has he earned his money and how did he spend it? 4. What has he done with his knowledge?

As for his words: “take advantage of five things before five things: your youth before your decrepitude, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your leisure time prior to your occupation and your life before your death”, it is a clear allusion that the Muslim must use time while it is still in full possession of his means, as he is still young, rich and available and before age, disease, poverty and worries affect him.