Showing posts with label Holy Quran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holy Quran. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

A Prayer at the Ka'baa Shareef


The first House (of worship) to be established for all mankind was the one at Bakka. It's a blessed place; a source of guidance for all people; there were clear signs in it; it is the place where Abraham stood to pray; whoever enters it is safe. Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to God by people who are able to undertake it’. (3:97) 

Remember the time when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House, praying, ‘Our Lord, accept this from us; for You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. Our Lord, make us devoted to You; make our descendants into a community devoted to You. Show us how to worship and accept our repentance, for You are the Ever Relenting, the Most Merciful’. (2:128-129) 

The Promised Messiah, Al Imam Al Mahdi, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian (1835-1908 AD) never had the chance during his lifetime to visit Makkah to offer his obeisance at the holy Ka’baa Sanctuary. Yet, some of his disciples could make that sublime spiritual journey during his time, and one of them was Pir Munshi Ahmad Jan. When the Pir Saheb was about to go on Hajj pilgrimage in the year 1302 AH/ 1902 AD, Hadhrat Massih Mauod (as) gave him several instructions on fervent prayers to be invoked on his own behalf while at the Ka’baa Sheriff in Makkah. In this context, when the journey for Hajj pilgrimage was to take place, the Promised Messiah (as) wrote to Pir Saheb in a letter:

Remember the request of my humble and unworthy being that when by the grace of Allah the Almighty you are granted the honour of visiting the House of Allah, please pray on behalf of this humblest of Allah’s servants with great humility and submission at that praiseworthy and blessed place in the following words:

‘O Most Merciful of all the mercifuls, a servant of yours –humble, unworthy, full of shortcomings, and unskilled—Ghulam Ahmad, who resides in the country of India, prays that:

O Most Merciful, be pleased with me.

Forgive my faults and sins, as You are Most Forgiving and Merciful.

Grant me the ability to do what pleases you greatly.

Create a separation between me and my self as East is separated from the West.

Let my life and my death and all my capacities be an offering in Your way.

Grant me life in Your love, and let me die in Your love.

Saturday, March 9, 2019

Faith Matters: No Coercion

'Jihad': Never Through Compulsion!

Allah says in the Quran: 

Laa-Ikraaha fid-Deen. 
« There is no compulsion in religion. »---(Al-Baqara, 2 : 257)

It is indeed one of the most well-known Quranic verses and, moreover, of relevance, considering the conditions that prevail today. Even those who are totally ignorant of the teachings of the Holy Quran, have already heard about them. - This verse highlights the relationship between religion - in this case Islam - and compulsion and at what level compulsion can influence religious beliefs.

Some Ulema of other Jamaats, after [the revelation of] this verse, try to prove that the use of force is absolutely legal in matters of religion, but we, the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam demonstrates the opposite.

The Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam accepts this verse in its entirety, and fully appreciates its message. Another aspect of this teaching, different from that of the Orthodox, was put forward by the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam. Not only is there no doubt about the prohibition of the use of force, whatever its form in matters of faith, but it is impossible to achieve the goal sought by such means. This is what the following verse tells us.
   
Two Forms of Compulsion

Compulsion can be in two ways:

1. The use of force to spread a religion.
2. Forcibly remove someone from his religion.

So this verse tells us that we cannot force someone to accept a new faith, much less, we cannot force him to give up his faith. But those who do their utmost to dissociate Islam from its most faithful believers, will not succeed, because the verse tells us, further.

... and whoever believes in Allah will surely have grasped a solid and unbreakable handhold ...” (Al-Baqara 2: 257).

This is the most tangible meaning of this verse. Those who are not convinced that one cannot force anyone to embrace or renounce a religion, need only try it. Besides, history confirms the veracity of this Quranic verse.

Thursday, March 7, 2019

‘Mahmud’s Aameen’: Prayers for Children


The power of sublime Prayers

‘It is He who accepts the prayers of those who believe and do good works, and gives them more than their due reward, out of His grace...He sends down in due measure whatever He will, for He is well aware of His servants and watchful over them: it is He who sends relief through rain after they have lost hope, and spreads His mercy far and wide. He is the Protector, Worthy of All Praise.’ [Surah Al Shura, 42:27-29]

In shaping the destiny of man and in guiding his spiritual life, invocations to the Lord Almighty have a significant role to play. The lives of prophets and saints, in all their varied circumstances and unusual settings through history, bear wonderful testimonial to the eternal truth about the fulfillment of sublime prayers. Perhaps the finest example of the enduring vitality of Divine invocations would be the sprouting of the magnificent garden of Islam in the barren land of Arabia. Long ago, in a corner of the world, away from his non-believing people, Hadhrat Ibrahim (as) had made fervent supplications for the righteousness and spiritual progress of the generations to come and for the flourishing of the message of Tawheed, the life-mission of all virtuous souls. And the Qur’an records his soulful prayers for the benefit of spiritual seekers of all times. For instance, the Book of God teaches that while re-building the Ka‘bah with his pious son Hadhrat Isma‘il, Hadhrat Ibrahim (as) offered the following prayer:

"Our Lord, make us submissive to You and make of our offspring a people submissive to You. And show us our ways of worship, and turn to us with mercy; for You are Oft-Returning with compassion and are Merciful.

And, our Lord, raise up among them a Messenger from among themselves, who may recite to them Thy Signs and teach them the Book and Wisdom and may purify them; surely, Thou art the Mighty, the Wise.’" (Surah Al Baqarah, 2:129-130)

Monday, January 14, 2019

Special Advice for Devout Women


During the recently concluded India Tour, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius addressed the special Ijtema of the Siraj Makin- the Women's Collective of the Tamil Nadu Jamaat, on 24 November 2018 (Rabi’ul Awwal 1440 AH)Reproduced below is the text of the Speech: 

The Believing Women of the Divine Manifestation

Dear Suruj Makin (i.e. the Strong and Firm Lamps of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam), Assalamoualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuhu.

Like your God-given name indicates, you are such ladies who need always show yourselves strong and firm in faith and also spread this firmness of faith around you, showing the world the beauty of Islam, the true faith.

It is now one year that the light of the Divine Manifestation has reached your good souls and Allah enabled you to accept His signs and Messenger. And more recently, by the immense grace of Allah, many of you have integrated the Jamaat, through various signs from Allah. Allah opened your hearts to accept this New Age’s Divine Manifestation. Now, a new avenue (i.e. path) has been opened for you to pave your way in all serenity (i.e. with peacefulness and firmness in faith) towards Allah and the accomplishments of your duties to Allah.

Always remember that you, the women of the Divine Manifestation are the foundation of tomorrow’s nation. Each one of you is important to the Jamaat of Allah and to ISLAM as a whole. Through your obedience, gentleness, devotion, knowledge and sacrifice, you can reach to the summit of faith. Be it in good times and in times of trials you need always be steadfast (i.e. patient) and keep your trust and faith in Allah and His Khalifatullah of this era ever firm.

Remember, your actions are responsible for the Good and the Bad in the world. Your thoughts are responsible for your actions. Your minds are responsible for your thoughts. So, if you nurture good thoughts in your mind, and transcribe (i.e. put) these good thoughts and intentions into practice, then Islam shall progress in leaps and bounds, going from success to success.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Finding ‘Balance’ in the Trials of Life


The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) is reported to have said:

'This life is the dwelling of crookedness; not straightness, and the residence of sadness; rather than happiness. Those who acquire knowledge in its true reality will not feel joy in times of ease, nor grieve in times of hardship. 

Verily, Allah the Exalted has created this life as a test and the Hereafter as the dwelling of recompense. He made the test of this life a reason behind earning the reward of the Hereafter and the reward in the Hereafter as compensation for the test in this life. He takes so that He gives and tests so that He recompenses.

The life of this world vanishes rapidly and changes suddenly. Therefore, beware of its sweetness so as to avoid the bitterness of its depriving, and beware of its delights so as to avoid the pains they lead too. 

Do not excessively build a life that Allah has decided is bound to destruction, and do not recline to (or like) it. Verily, Allah has ordained on you that you should avoid its danger. Otherwise, you will expose yourselves to His Anger and justifiably earn His Punishment."

This prophetic wisdom is, in many ways, also a summation of the Qur’anic message on the fleeting nature of our fortunes in this world, and that everything is subject to a law of nature or the Divine Law. The Holy Qur’an says, “No misfortune can happen, either in the earth or in yourselves, that was not set down in writing before We brought it into being- that is easy for God- so you need not grieve for what you miss or gloat over what you gain.” (57: 23) Long ago, Luqman the Wise counselled his son to endure with fortitude what befalls and the Qur’an notes: “Bear anything that happens to you steadfastly” (31:17).

Our Wishes and Divine Expectations

The Qur’an alludes to the wisdom behind this balanced approach to our earthly life’s contingent circumstances- fortunes and misfortunes; situations that can and will evolve in the fullness of time in the life of a believer. With a deeply flawed sense of the human self- "foolish and unjust", according to the Qur'an- man is inherently incapable of making the wise decision as regards what is harmful or beneficial for him without Divine guidance. Our wishes, desires and inclinations are to be tempered in accordance with Divine commandments and expectations wherever applicable, depending on the varied circumstances of one’s life. 

Allah (swt) encourages the believers to trust in His better knowledge of how things will turn out to be in the end, and of what benefits a person in his present life and the Hereafter. Submission to God and adherence to Divine expectations would better serve and suffice the believer's larger interests, says the Qur’an in its own inimitable style: 

“You may dislike something although it is good for you, or like something although it is bad for you: God knows and you do not.” (2: 216)

“Live with them (your wives) in a goodly manner: if you dislike them, it may well be that you dislike something which God might yet make a source of abundant good." (4:20) 

One of the Divine revelations recieved by the Promised Messiah (as) in the previous era on the same theme is as follows: 

"God will bestow your reward in full and will be pleased with you and will perfect your name. And it is possible that you hold something dear, yet in reality it is harmful for you; and it is possible that you dislike something , yet in reality it is beneficial for you. God Almighty knows the end results of things and you do not know." [Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part IV, p. 391, UK: Islam Int'l Publications, (2016). 

Imam Ibn al Qayyim al-Jawziyya (691-751 AH; 1292-1350 CE), the medieval polymath and classical commentator of the Holy Qur’an, has left behind a deeply insightful exposition on this theme of the Qur’an, advising the believing servants on how to profit from these profound words of the Book of God.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

A 'Waliullah' In Our Times



In the Friday Sermon of 23 November 2018 (14 Rabi’ul Awwal 1440 AH) delivered at Tenkasi during his recently concluded tour of Tamil Nadu and Kerala (South India); Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius provides an illuminating discourse on the concept of Waliullah in the Islamic spiritual tradition. 

All through history, the world of Islam witnessed the appearance of several great savants; Divinely-imbued souls as the Pole Stars of the Religion and the Way; the Luminous Moons of the Faith- people whom devout Muslims over the millennium revere as no less than the spiritual heirs of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). These perfect followers of the Holy Prophet (sa) had been blessed with the direct descent of Divine Knowledge, Divine Revelations, and Divine Words on their persons, and their supplications were almost always accepted. Indeed, such followers of the Muhammadan Light in the Spiritual Path, imbued as they are with divine qualities; they aspire to cultivate a direct relationship with one’s Maker and live secluded behind the curtain of Divine intimacy. Like the Qur’an says: “Verily, My Protecting Friend is Allah, Who has revealed this perfect Book and He takes into (His) protection all the righteous.” (7:197) 

A Hadith-e-Qudusi recorded in Sahih Al Bukhari reads as follows: “My servant keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him. And once I love him, I become his hearing, with which he hears, his sight, with which he sees, his hand, with which he seizes, and his foot, with which he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him.” 

Those individuals with whom Allah converses more directly and frequently than with other believers belong to the class of Friends of Allah (Auliya). In the spiritual terminology, such persons are described under different ranks and stations- Wali, Muhaddith, Mujaddid, etc. - all of whom receive their light from the Divine Light and thereby revive the knowledge, wisdom and blessings of the Prophets and Messengers of the previous era. The Light of Allah emanating from theses spiritual lamps illuminate the path of the Divine seekers in Islam.



The present discourse by Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) is indeed an important reminder to all Ahmadis- people who revere the legacy of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian- about the forgotten teachings of the Promised Massih (as) regarding the spiritual phenomenon of Wilayat, and the continued vitality of these teachings in every era till the Day of Judgement. Drawing specifically from the Divine revelations and additional explanations given by the Promised Massih (as) in the previous era, especially in his Revealed Sermon- Khutba Ilhaamiya; and also the Divine revelations that were vouchsafed to his humble self in the last two decades, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) points to the significance of the advent of a 'Waliullah'- a special Friend of God, who speaks with the help of Roohul Qudus to illuminate the reasoning and intelligence of people in the appreciation of subtle and profound matters of Divine knowledge and to guide them in the Spiritual Way in our bewildering times.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

The Wisdom of Obedience to God


We are Nothing Without Allah.

Dear brothers and sisters of Islamic faith, my dear disciples, neither you nor I owe our existence to our own will. The vast universe and the many creatures it contains are the work of the one and only Creator, with a set of rules / laws for each species and creation. This Unique Creator is Allah.

At first, apart from the Creator, there was no creature. Then Allah (swt) decided to create living beings, such as the angels, jinn and humans. Among these creatures, more specifically, the jinn and humans, there are those who use their life to do good, while others use it to do evil. Allah says:

And by the day as it appears in brightness; And by that which He has created, the male and the female; Certainly, your efforts and deeds are diverse (different in aims and purposes).” (Al-Layl 92: 3-5).

Thus, it is clear that the man and the woman must fill their days and nights with various efforts for their survival on earth and therefore they will have to face the consequences of their actions on the Day of Judgment.

But as for one whose scales are light, His refuge will be an abyss. And what can make you know what that is? It is a Fire, intensely hot.” (Al-Qariah, 92: 9-12).

Man and woman, in short the human race must fulfill their duty to its Creator, and the main duty is the exclusive worship of Allah (swt) and to make every effort to build their lives on the basis of Islam - complete submission to Allah - and to serve Him in all sincerity and piety.

Allah says: “I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Az-Zariyat, 51: 57).

And in serving Him, he must also serve humanity because the essence of God is in every human being on earth.

Sunday, November 4, 2018

The Death of a Scheming Enemy




Every soul shall taste death. (Al-Imran 3 : 186).
Today is a public Holiday as it is All Saints Day; in other words such a day in the life of a Christian where he commemorates the Saints and also the dead in general. And it is not a coincidence that Allah has guided me to deliver this sermon today (a sermon which I prepared beforehand and which applies exactly for today).

The world we live in is only ephemeral. One day or another, death will overtake us. We must then leave behind all our wealth, families, and friends. The only luggage we will bring with us is our actions and the intentions behind these actions.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said that there are three things that accompany a deceased to his grave: his family, his riches, and his actions. Of these three things, two come back, his family and his wealth. Only his actions accompany him. (Bukhari, Muslim).

On 02 July 2000, I received from Allah this revelation in poetic form (in French) on the subject of death: Death is your Last Journey/ Travel”.

Death is a journey,
So get ready,
No need for luggage,
Or yes, take with you:
Your pious actions, the love of Allah
Destination: the afterlife
Death is your last journey.”

In this extract, Allah mainly mentions the spiritual baggage of the believer, where he shall arm himself with his good deeds, his pious actions and his love for Allah. The pious will be very lucky. His obedience to Allah and His Messenger, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), and to the Messenger of His epoch - if his epoch was the time when Allah sent a Messenger and Reformer to revive Islam, like in this present era - will be like a fiery light for him, which shall illuminate his way. His path to the afterlife will be easy compared with the unbeliever or the hypocrite who had during his stay on earth ignored Allah and His commandments.

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Belief in the Judgement Day


'Qiyamah' is coming 

Islam teaches us that every soul shall taste death. After a person’s death, his soul will reside in a world different from ours, called “Barzakh” until the Day of Judgement (Qiyamah). On that day, everyone will be gathered by Allah for the final account. The good believer will go to heaven while the bad servant will go to hell. To believe in this is a pillar of our faith (Iman). Therefore, a believer must learn about this subject and have conviction in it.

But to be precise, you must understand that each person shall witness his own Day of Judgement, and he will be among the group of his time, at the moment of his death. For example, in everyday life, we often learn of a calamity or other that has arisen and has made hundreds or millions of deaths. So, for these people, it’s their last hour on earth and they will face their Last Judgement after going through the “Barzakh” and from there on they will know their final destination.

But those who disbelieve say, ‘The Hour will not come to us.’ Say, ‘Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you’.” (Saba, 34 : 4).

Non-believers in general, apart from religions which were originally monotheistic, such as Judaism and Christianity, do not believe in life after death, in the Last Judgement because most of them believe that their life on earth is their only life and death will mean a definite end to their life, while others believe in reincarnation, i.e., they will be resurrected in different bodies, be it in human or animal form, and that they will return to earth again and again, instantly, or centuries after their present death. These conceptions about life and death that they hold are really wrong.

The Six Pillars of Islam

As Muslims we need to know and understand that our faith (Iman) rests on six pillars; Our faith in: Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers / Prophets, the Last Day of Judgement and Fate/ Predestination/ Destiny – and the fact that good and evil come through the knowledge, law and the creation of Allah, and the firm belief in life after death (the Resurrection) which are each an indisputable truth.

Sunday, October 14, 2018

'Salat': Indispensable to Spiritual Life


'Salat': A Pillar of Islam 

Allah has established five pillars for the maintenance of the balance and strength of Islam, and Salat is the second, after the Shahada (Laa-Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadur Rassullullah); that is to say, the attestation of the oneness of God and the recognition of the status of Muhammad (pbuh) as the Messenger of Allah. As a result, all the good deeds we perform depend on Salat because it is the main prayer. So much so that even the other pillars such as fasting (Sawm), obligatory alms-giving (Zakaat) and the Pilgrimage (Hajj) depend on the Salat.

Narrated by Abu Huraira (ra) that our beloved prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “The first action for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded. If they are lacking, then he will have failed and lost.” (Tirmidhi).

Salat in other words is the key to the believer’s temporal and eternal success. Without the Salat, no one can access Allah, because Salat is the link, and even the essence of the relationship between man and his Creator. It is through the Salat that man can see God through the eye of God. It is the sacred rendezvous between the Creator and His creature, a daily appointment which is obligatory upon him. For the true believer, this meeting with the beloved is not a burden or a difficult task to accomplish, but a real pleasure, and as a result, he will reap the paradise and the eternal pleasure of God.

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Du'ah: Role in Spiritual Life- II


Du'ah: The Instrumental Role

Alhamdulillah, Allah has given me the opportunity to continue the second part of my sermon on Duahs which I started on Friday 07 September 2018.

The duah (i.e. in this context, Invocation to Allah) is a way to obtain from Allah the Exalted One the prerogative (exclusive right, i.e. in a most humble way) that He hears and satisfies our needs in the broadest sense of the word. It is therefore a factor that can affect even our fate and change our destiny. Surely, Allah the Exalted is always “closer to man than the vein of his neck (jugular vein) as He explains in a Qur’anic verse (Qaf 50: 17).

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Living Islam: Importance of 'Duah'


Invocations (Duah) in Islam

Seek ways to get closer to Him.” (Al-Ma'ida, 5: 36).

O Allah, You are forgiving and You love to forgive, so (please) forgive me.” Ameen.

The duah is an imploration, a prayer, a request, a supplication that we, the Muslim Ummah, address to Allah (swt) to satisfy our needs, to grant us His blessings, to forgive our sins, to help us overcome our difficulties, to solve our problems, to correct our faults, to find (and tread upon) the right path, to enlighten our hearts to make the difference between good and evil, to find the true path and inner peace and to draw closer to Him.

The duah is the favourite weapon of all prophets and true believers so as to carry out the difficult tasks assigned to them and to endure the ordeals they have often suffered and shall continue to suffer. That is to say, just like there were the prophets of Allah and the pious people who had to go through all kinds of ordeals in the past and they used to invoke Allah to help them, likewise, presently and in the future also, there shall be such elects of Allah and the pious people who shall also seek the help of Allah in all their ordeals through prayer (duahs). Through various verses of the Holy Quran, we learn how the prophets (Hazrat) Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Ayub, Zakariah and other messengers made duahs, especially during the difficult moments of their lives. 

And the Holy Book teaches us how the Seal of the Prophets Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) strongly urged believers to seek the help of Allah (swt) in all circumstances. So much so that to start any particular job/ task you have to do a very easy duah, saying: “Bismillah”. The duah is the best way to have a healthy, perfect, agreeable relationship between man and his Creator, as well as his rooting in the notion of faith, since even the prophets who represent the peak of humanity as to their closeness to Allah (swt) and their connection to Him always resorted to duahs.

We must in no case neglect this act of worship, this great and best worship of Allah (swt) – after Salat and Quran reading. For if you meditate of its importance, you shall find that in Salat (prayer), it is mostly Quranic verses and duahs which are recited. It is duahs which embellish our Salat. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) was right and he made it clear about duah: “Duah (Supplication) is the essence of worship.” (Tirmidhi). 

Monday, September 3, 2018

Patience in Adversity


Patience, Perseverance and Endurance

To succeed in establishing in his soul beautiful qualities, such as patience, perseverance, endurance, the Muslim must absolutely resort to various verses of the Holy Quran and explicit Hadiths on the subject. Certainly the Holy Quran gives us clear examples that make us think, to boost us to take this path and succeed. Without patience, perseverance and endurance, the believer will not succeed in opening himself spiritually to the understanding of religion - in this case, Islam - and the essence of faith in itself.

Our Lord, Allah (swt) tells us in the Holy Qur’an:

Give good tidings to the patient, those who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.’ Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.” (Al-Baqara 2 : 156-158).

O you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other; and fear Allah; that you may prosper.” (Al-Imran 3 : 201).

We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do.” (An-Nahl, 16 : 97).

Be patient, your patience is not but from Allah.” (An-Nahl 16 : 128).

Bear anything that happens to you steadfastly, for this is firmness (of purpose) in (the conduct of) affairs.” (Luqman, 31 : 18).

And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.” (Al-Sajda 32 : 25).

The patient will be given their reward without account.” (Az-Zumar, 39 : 11).

These are some blessed verses from the Holy Qur’an that God the Exalted has sent down to humanity for all times. They show that where patience and endurance prevail, success is a sure cure. To these two elements forming the character of man, we must certainly add faith and piety as a whole. It is then that the divine blessing falls. For Allah (swt) reminds the Ummah through the Qur’anic verses of the value of patience and endurance.

Indeed, among the virtues that constitute the adornment of a Muslim, there is patience and endurance. These two elements, adopted with conviction help to combat the harm of others for the sake of Allah. Patience is simply the constraint of the soul to accept what is repugnant to it and to endure with impassivity, with constancy the evil that reaches it.

In times of trials, Muslims and especially my disciples of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam must restrain themselves and persevere in the accomplishment of good deeds and become models of virtues. You must not be alarmed or irritated or angry. On the contrary, you must have complete trust in Allah. Remember that the difficulties you are experiencing are only trials that you must overcome for the sake of Allah. These are tests, exams that God makes you undergo to bring out your true value and your true faith.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Eid-ul-Adha: The Significance of 'Qurbani'


Every religion has certain rituals. They are worn as ornaments and become the very face of religion. It is important to value these rituals in order to situate oneself in religion. Islam is a religion that includes two days of the year that are celebrated ritually and which therefore have more religious significance than others: Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.

Note that these two festivals each have a special prayer. In fact, before the arrival of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in Medina, its inhabitants celebrated two other days of the year. When the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) arrived there, he said, “You had two days when you would play, but Allah (swt) has given Muslims something instead that is better than them: the day of Al-Fitr and the day of Al-Adha.” (Nasai)

The days of Eid are the only festivals of the Islamic calendar. These two days of celebration each include a special prayer. The Muslim therefore celebrates his festivals with more prayer and fervour in thanking his Lord for all the favours He pours on him. It is therefore with an additional prayer that the Muslim expresses his joy while thanking his Creator.

And on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Adha, it is with the sacrifice of an animal in the name of Allah that he thanks his Lord and shows generosity to the poor.

The term “Qurbani” is derived from the word “Al-Qurban” which means any work that leads to divine proximity. Thus, every religious service is called ‘Qurbah’ or holy work and especially sacrifices. (Inset: a picture from the Hajj of 1953 when the pilgrims were able to choose the animals they wanted for Qurbani and would keep their livestock with them during the Hajj)

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) reports that our Lord (Allah) has said, “My servant constantly approaches me by performing additional acts of devotion until I grant him My affection. Thus, I become his ear by which he hears, his eyes by which he sees ... And if he asks Me something, I grant it to him and if he seeks My protection, I protect him.” (Bukhari).

This day of Eid-ul-Adha leads us to reflect on the sacrifices offered by Ibrahim (as) to his Lord: the hardships of emigration, being thrown into the fire and being separated from his family among others. And moreover, Allah the Exalted ordered him to sacrifice his son Ismail (as). He submitted to the divine will and placed the knife on the neck of his son to slit his throat.

But Allah the Exalted decreed that Hazrat Ismail (as) was not going to be sacrificed and he was thus spared, and this human sacrifice was replaced by the sacrifice of a sheep. By this, Allah the Exalted wanted to fill Muslims with benefits compared to fellow Christians and Jews, but for that it was necessary to offer in sacrifice Ismail (as), father-ascendant (biological ancestor) of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said, “I am the son of two sacrificed people.” (Mustadrak Hakim) Ismail (as), the eldest son of Ibrahim (as) and father of the Arabs, and Abdullah, the biological father of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Both were about to be sacrificed.

It is to revive the memory of the spirit of sacrifice of Ibrahim (as) that one is called every year to sacrifice animals during the days of Eid-ul-Adha. The sacrifice of animals during the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah is an integral symbol of Islam. Allah the Exalted said: “And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah.” (Al-Hajj 22: 37).