Tears of the Muslim Ummah

   

In his Friday Sermon of 12 April 2024~ 02 Shawwal 1445 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International, Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius, spoke movingly about the plight of several Muslim communities around the world. In China, the communist regime is applying repressive methods to eradicate the cultural memory, social practices, and religious consciousness of the Uighur Muslims of Xinjiang. Likewise, in Myanmar, the Rohingya Muslims are facing worst forms of violence and ethnic-cleansing at the hands of the Buddhist extremists and the military junta. Elsewhere, several Muslim minority communities are facing the onslaughts of anti-Islam forces. Majoritarian, ethnic-nationalist parties in some countries, as well as the secular fascists in other lands, are equally united in their hatred of Islam, and they scheme to restrict the basic human rights and cultural identity of the Muslims in their midst. It seems as though other religious groups, dominant as they are today in their lands,  are mortally afraid of what the future holds for them as Islam gradually spreads in these lands incrementally. On the other hand, in Muslim nations such as Yemen, Syria and the Sudan, civic conflicts and internecine warfare have taken a toll on entire Muslim communities, with unending violence devastating every day life in these societies for years altogether, leading to large scale forced displacement and migration. 

In the killing fields of Gaza and elsewhere in the occupied territories of the Palestinian people, Israel's relentless bombing campaigns over the last six-months have murdered more than thirty five thousand persons- a large majority of them children and women; hundreds of thousands more became displaced in the land, with thousands critically injured while entire hospitals and housing buildings stand destroyed, making human life virtually intolerable in the land. And yet, the people of Palestine patiently awaits the dawn of their liberation from the clutches of their racist oppressors. Hazrat Khalifatullah's speech concludes with a long, heart-felt prayer to the Almighty God for the destruction of the forces of evil, and for the alleviation and edification of the suffering Muslims of the world, Insha Allah, Aameen.    

Read the Friday Sermon Below:

The Plans of Modern Pharaohs

 

The rise of authoritarian strongmen- 'modern Pharaohs' as it were- in numerous countries in recent times through either military takeovers, or by deeply-flawed but populist ('democratic') processes threaten true freedom every where. Countries with dangerous imperial delusions and territorial expansion plans include Russia under Vladimir Putin; China under Xi Jinping; India under Narendra Modi, and Israel under Benjamin Netanyahu. While each of these nations know that international law does not legitimate military conquest and foreign occupation, they plan that 'stealth' and 'subterfuge' can carry their secret plots to fruition: the acquisition and control of territories through any means, including war. Likewise, the return to power in Kabul by the Taliban; by other equally vicious military oligarchs in North Korea, Myanmar, Mali, Sudan, Tunisia, Nicaragua and Egypt mean an era of political repression and glaring injustice for the people of these unfortunate countries. It is also instructive to note that many other nations are also arming themselves to the teeth; preparing themselves for the  'Wars of the future'. 

Against this grim backdrop of international political and strategic developments with the rise of modern pharaohs, in his Friday Sermon of 25 November 2022 ~30 Rabi’ul Aakhir 1444 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius continues his series of reflections on the challenges confronting international freedom, peace and tranquillity.    

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

The Modern Pharaohs of this World & Their War Strategies

The pharaonic dynasty was about horrible tyrants who claimed to be all-powerful gods, and they made their people worship them. They amassed unfathomable wealth and power, while the masses, as always, laboured to survive. They built huge monuments to their own praise, big slabs to flatter their ego, to impress their followers and foreign powers with their stature and might. They abused their authority at every turn, killed off the opposition, tortured, maimed, plotted, connived, and clung to power by every means imaginable. And their legacy [i.e. their evil, their thirst for power, grandeur and wealth] has persisted until today.

 

It is well established among the people of all religions, especially, the three main monotheistic ones, i.e. Muslims, Jews and Christians, that Pharaoh was one of the worst disbelievers in God; in fact, in the Quran, Allah does not tell the story of any disbeliever by name more than the story of Pharaoh, and He does not tell us more detail of the disbelief, transgression and arrogance of any disbeliever more than He tells us about Pharaoh.

'Hijab' in the Time of 'Islamophobia'

  

In his Friday Sermon of 25 February 2022~ 23 Rajab 1443 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius eloquently explains the ethics of Hijab in Islam. Speaking against the backdrop of the ongoing controversy in India and elsewhere over unfair restrictions on the civic freedoms of Muslim girls and women to access education and employment in the name of their religious attire, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) offers an exposition on the Islamic approach for the protection of women's identity, dignity,  privacy interests, and rights in the social order. 

 

As Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) alludes in the discourse, the present controversy over Hijab is indicative of a deeper crises in societies fuelled by internal political conflicts over unemployment and other issues, including the recognition, accommodation and integration of minority groups. Liberal States in the West and elsewhere swear by their commitment to democratic values and fundamental human rights- including freedom of conscience, freedom of religion and minority rights- and yet, the apparently neutral policies that they espouse betray direct or indirect discrimination- with disproportional impact upon the religious minorities living in the land; forcing the minority communities to choose between their commitment to religious beliefs and cultural practices and the dictates of national culture -raising searing questions of justice and equity in law and policy. 

Consider the present, manufactured controversy over Hijab. The 'presence' of Muslims as a people manifesting their religious practices such as Hijab and going about their everyday lives apparently challenge pre-existing notions of 'secular' public sphere with their rules of engagement such as uniforms in academic institutions and dress code in employment, etc. Majoritarian intolerance and hatred against minority groups point to political mobilization. Illiberal forces weaponize secular law to erase the 'hated' symbols of minorities- such as the Hijab- from the public sphere. Indeed, beneath the veneer of liberal quibbling over the role of 'religious' symbol- Hijab- in 'secular' space, with no corresponding attention to the symbols of the majority that are all over the public sphere; Islamophobia- the prejudice and suspicion and hatred and intolerance against Islam as a religion and Muslims as a community- is 'the elephant in the room' that needs to be called out. 

With ideologies of racial supremacism, ethnic nationalism, and religious majoritarianism increasingly gaining public support in several multicultural states,  'Islamophobia' is indeed regrettably widespread in our times. In the names of modernity and secular values of women's emancipation and empowerment, the Islamic headscarf and other veiling practices are viewed as 'oppressive' by the non-Muslim world. Hence, Muslim girls and women are left with no option but to resist and mount legal struggles to gain recognition and public acceptance for their Hijab. It is instructive to note in this context that without clear respect for the inherent dignity and rights of the human person and her free choices, including the recognition of 'difference' in the spirit of diversity; without an ethic of compassion for 'minority' groups who don't share the values of the majority; the claims of upholding liberalism, democracy, secularism and human rights are empty or hollow. As more and more women- [both Muslims and non-Muslims]- are recognizing the appeal and benefits of Islamic teachings and embracing the convenience of the Hijab, the societies that seek to ban Islamic values are destined to be profoundly transformed in their approach sooner than later- whether they like it not, Insha Allah, Aameen. 

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

'Hijab' and the Law

The recent expulsion of a number of ‘Hijab’-wearing, young Muslim students in Karnataka, and the subsequent imposition of a ‘ban’ on religious attire in academic institutions raise disturbing questions about Executive excesses, given their profound implications on the future of individual choice, religious freedom, and minority rights in India. Given the fact that multiple religious symbols  and attires are accepted and accommodated as part of the nation’s secular ethos and composite culture, and most Muslim girl children had been wearing headscarves along with their School uniforms for many decades all across the country without any issue, the present manufactured controversy against ‘Hijab’ in coastal Karnataka can only be seen as a manifestation of the tectonic shifts that are currently underway in Indian politics, especially the growing muzzle-flexing by Islamophobic extremists in the country who enjoy impunity from law despite their vitriolic campaigns for the erasure of all markers of Muslim-cultural identity from the public sphere of India as well as threatening to commit mass atrocities against the minority community. Hence, attacking a religious and cultural practice like ‘Hijab’ in the name of ‘uniformity’ in the class-room dress code is only the latest episode in the larger political project of remaking India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. 

Constitutional Secularism in India

As a large country with over a billion- people: professing different faiths and belonging to diverging denominational groups; a variety of regional traditions and food cultures; indigenous communities; speaking several languages; India cannot but remain as a shining example of unity in diversity. It is this spirit of tolerance, accommodation and inclusion that is the hallmark of the Indian nationhood as envisaged and consciously chosen by the founding fathers of the Constitutional order when India regained independence from British colonialism in 1947. Respecting the dignity of the individual, and accommodating cultural differences by express recognition of minority rights; evolving the bond of fraternity across all category distinctions and constructing a public order where every social group finds equal access to flourish in togetherness is the idea of India that emerges from that founding document of the secular republic.

Israel: A Racist Bully

 

Israel & U.S under Fire 

Israel’s attempt to justify its recent brutal assault on Gaza rings hollow to anybody familiar with events in Israel, where the government of Israel, backed by anti-Arab racists, has systematically, cruelly, and persistently violated the basic human rights of the Arab population. Like I told you last week in my sermon, Human Rights Watch, a global NGO with many Jewish leaders, has condemned Israel for crimes against humanity. 

Israel behaviour puts US President Joe Biden’s administration, which professes a foreign policy based on human rights, under the spotlight. If that commitment is genuine, the administration should support an independent UN investigation of Israeli human rights violations against the Arab population and suspend military aid to Israel until the inquiry is completed and the human rights of the Palestinians are secured. 

‘Release Nasir Ahmad Sultani’

In his Friday Sermon of 11 May 2018 (24 Shabaan 1439 AH), Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) of Mauritius gave a profound discourse on the significance of the Holy Month of Ramadan to the fortunes of the Muslims. Drawing on episodes of sacred history, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) surveys the great obstacles early believers had to confront to establish Islam in its Arab heartland, especially in Ramadan of the years after the Hijra. Indeed the narratives of history testify that the companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) were fasting in Ramadan even as they were winning critical battles against the forces of evil and oppression in the land. Hunger, thirst, sex- no basic human needs could come in the way of great striving in pursuit of lofty responsibilities.  

Only those who know the past can shape the future. Through the vital lessons in sacred memory, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) calls our attention to the grave responsibilities of today. To confront the challenges being mounted by anti-Islam forces in the world and to create a just world where the Muslim Ummah as a whole can flourish, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) provides important advices and insights for the Muslim leaders of today. The spiritual discourse underscores the need for fostering the spirit of unity within the Ummah. This unity can only be forged by showing healthy respect for the diversity of thoughts and ideas among the various strands of Muslims today, especially by their States in their administrative and governance frameworks. Fundamental human rights such as freedom of speech and expression should be institutionally protected, with no one being allowed to sit in judgement over the faith/beliefs/convictions of others.  Pointing to the prevailing scenario of bewildering disunity, deepening sectarianism and intolerance, creeping injustice and social strife in the ‘Islamic’ world, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) exhorts the Muslims and their influential leaders to rise above their sectarian perceptions/ ‘majoritarian’ prejudices against their brethren in faith and to ensure justice for everyone regardless of their identity or personal beliefs.  

Illustrating his point, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) notes the searing irony of a State (Pakistan) claiming to profess ‘Islamic’ values in its Constitution and the Laws and yet denying the freedom of conscience and of expression to its own citizens. Unfortunately for the hapless people of Pakistan, the deadly poison of competitive politics over religious/sectarian identity has cast its long shadow over the integrity and fairness of the nation’s governance structures. Of late, the national criminal law is being wantonly and rampantly misused by thuggish/fascist elements in society to curtail human rights in the land- they seek to intimidate religious minorities- including the ‘Ahmadis’; arrest and imprison contrarian individuals for their personal opinions. Nasir Ahmad Sultani, the Pakistani Muslim citizen of Ahmadi sect who claims to be a recipient of Divine revelations in this era, has been arrested by the authorities under the notorious ‘Blasphemy Law’ and he remains imprisoned even after a year. This is a clear case of abuse and excess of the legal process. For, the State and the Law should have no business curtailing the freedoms of thought, belief, conscience, speech, expression of any individual. It is indeed the responsibility of the State and the Law to protect the various manifestations of free speech so long as there is no direct incitement to imminent violence. How should we look at a Law/State that behaves like a predator than a protector of human rights?

In a society that has politically sanctioned the murder/lynching of innocents in the name of ‘Allah’/ ‘Honour of the Holy Prophet’, etc., the imprisonment of a man for his opinions might seem trifle. The administrative/judicial measure of a period of imprisonment for the accused in ‘Blasphemy’ cases was apparently to ‘protect’ the ‘accused’ from the blood-thirsty Mullahs who are baying for human blood in public meetings! Such is the dire state of affairs in Pakistan that the country sits on the brink of losing its original moorings.

Hadhrat Khalifatullah’s timely appeal for justice and respect for human rights also contains within it a Divine warning for the Pakistani society. A society that does not tolerate religious diversity and respect freedom of conscience of individuals only ends up challenging Allah’s Grand Order of Things. In the name of their mundane power to define ‘legitimate religiosity’, they are playing ‘God’ and denying justice and rights of people! When a nation’s leaders exceed the bounds, they ignore common sense and the lessons of history, only to write its destiny in bloody conflicts and thereby they finish peace (‘Islam’) in the land with their own hands- see the fate of ‘Islamic’ nations in our times- Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, etc. Indeed it is for the righteous people-sincere believers- to stand up for the type of society they want to be, in Pakistan and beyond.

The Future of Jerusalem

The city of Jerusalem holds profound significance to the spiritual imagination of billions of people around the world. For the city and its precincts are intimately connected to the sacred memory of a long chain of Divine servants and events mentioned in the Holy Scriptures of three great religions-Judaism, Christianity and Islam. 

For the Jewish people, Jerusalem is the heart of the Promised Land blessed and gifted to their pious ancestors by the Lord Almighty. The grand prophecy in the Qur'an reads: "And after him We said to the children of Israel, ‘Dwell ye in the land; and when the time of the promise of the latter days comes, We shall bring you together out of various peoples.’ [17:105] 

For the Christians, the city is sacred for being the venue of all the major events in the life and preaching of Jesus Christ (as). For the Muslims, the city holds spiritual significance for a variety of reasons, including one of the most important events in the spiritual life of the Holy Prophet (sa), ie., the Isra’ Mi’raj- the Night Journey and Ascent to the Heavens: when Allah (swt) caused the Prophet (sa), in the space of a single night, to journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and from there to heaven and back again. The Qur’an states: “Glory to Him who made His servant travel by night from the sacred place of worship to the furthest place of worship, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him some of Our signs: He alone is the All Hearing, the All Seeing”. (17:02)

It was during the Holy Prophet’s journey from the site of the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem through the seven heavens that he encountered many Judeo-Christian prophets and finally came before the Exalted Presence: “until he was two bow-lengths away or even closer” (53:10). This mystical vision of the Holy Prophet (sa) clearly pointed to the deep connections of Islam to the Jewish and Christian prophetic heritage and Jerusalem came to be the first Quibla, direction of prayer for the Muslim community for many years- contributing to its sacred status in Islam. Through Divine revelation (2: 144-45), later of course, the Sacred Mosque in Makkah became the permanent direction of prayer for the Muslims.    

The Rohingya Exodus and India's Policy

A Panel Discussion 

Peace and Justice Forum, a student-run Discussion Forum at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, recently organized a Panel Discussion on the ongoing refugee crisis in India's neighbourhood. With hundreds of thousands of people belonging to a minority Muslim faith in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar being suddenly forced to abandon their homes, flee from the land and seek refuge abroad, especially in Bangladesh; the Discussion took place against the backdrop of the evolving national debate in India on the crisis in the region. 

Mr. Siraj, a refugee from the Rohingya community, was one of the Panelists, sharing a searing testimonial of what it means to be a refugee, being forced to abandon one's people and livelihood behind to escape injustice and oppression in the land. He spoke of a time when his grandfather and others of that generation and before could work and live as common citizens in Myanmar with all legal rights and civil protection available to all other citizens in the country, pointing to the enormous change in the fortunes of Rohingyas from being 'citizens' to 'stateless persons' in Myanmar. Two journalists on the Panel- Mr. Prashant Tandon and Mr. Akhlaque Usmani- shared their perspectives on the problem, reflecting on the Rohingya community's travails in recent decades as well as on the debate currently on the issue in the Indian media and government circles. 

As a student of international law and justice, this writer had the pleasure and privilege of chairing the programme that included a lively opinion-sharing,  question-answer session with the audience. In that public conversation, one could argue that international law considerations are potentially important on three distinct sets of issues and concerns in the context of the present problem from the standpoint of (i) ensuring accountability of the perpetrators of the crimes against humanity in Myanmar; (ii) providing immediate humanitarian relief and  assistance to the victims of the forced displacement; and (iii) the duty/responsibility/obligation of States like India to receive refugees even in the absence of a national refugee law.  

The Right to Self-Defence against Aggression

Islam forbids aggression, but orders us to fight if the limits of decency and freedom of conscience are exceeded and that truth and peace are in danger. In this case, the Muslim is called to fight and should not shrink from the fight to protect the religion approved by Allah, that is to say, Islam and the Muslims. 

This is the teaching on the basis of which the Holy Prophet (pbuh) set his own line of conduct. He continued to suffer in Mecca and did not fight the aggression of which he was the innocent victim. Even after his flight to Medina, the enemy went there to extirpate Islam; he had to fight for truth and freedom of conscience, but the fights he had subsequently directed were ordained by Allah, especially on self-defence basis and to save the worship of God and His sincere adherents/ servants.

“Permission (to fight) has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. Those who have been driven from their homes unjustly only because they said: Our Lord is Allah - For had it not been for Allah's repelling some men by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. 

And Allah will surely support those who support Him – Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might – Those who, if We give them power in the land, establish worship and pay the Zakat and enjoin kindness and forbid iniquity. And with Allah rests the end of (all) matters.” (22: 40-42).

Youth Activism for a Better Society

Youth is an invaluable asset for a nation since it guarantees their safety and hope. Unfortunately, today, we find that the Muslim youths, especially in Mauritius are too focused on themselves. If you ask them what they do during the holidays, they will answer unanimously: Tuitions, TV, Facebook, going out with friends in shopping malls etc.

Does youth comes down to this? Rare are the people who practice other activities. Similarly, in colleges, there are a significant number of absentees on the day when the school decides for example, to do a charitable activity as students prefer to stay home to work out test papers, to do their tuition homework, or worse, to go out and have fun with friends. They do not realize what they are losing because precisely our Islamic training recommends us to be generous and to help one another, to defend just causes and to work for the good of humanity. The Muslim youth must share and affirm the values ​​he believes in by taking part voluntarily and actively in community life.

Social engagement has countless benefits on the psychological level. There is first a better understanding among people from different backgrounds. Today, the youth with material wealth remains in a (too protected/spoiled) cocoon with his studies, his latest mobile, gadgets and connection on social networks (Facebook, Twitter etc.) without having an idea of ​​the difficulties faced by others who are worse off, like the poor, the sick, the disabled, the illiterate, the orphan, and the list is long. It is by putting himself at their service that he can mature both physically and emotionally.

Caring People, Changing Perceptions

Good Neighbourliness

By the grace of Allah I continue today on the subject of the Friday Sermons I had done three weeks back (09 & 16 October 2015), and today it is the third part of my sermon on the topic of “Khidmat-e-Khalq” (Service to Humanity).

So, this is a vast subject and we can ponder much over it, especially on the kind of society our master Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) had created and prepared carefully. We can have an idea of ​​this through the small advices that He gave us. Thus, according to the Hadiths, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) had talked about a very important subject, that is to say, to take great care of our neighbours. He (pbuh) said that no one, especially women, should look down upon their neighbours. Women (Muslim women) must establish a connection with their neighbours, even if it is through a leg of goat she offers them as a gift.

It is certainly a very pure advice that our prophet (pbuh) gave us and there is in this advice extraordinary eloquence. He said not to consider the neighbours as inferior to you. He lets you know that through gifts, you honour the neighbours, especially those who are closest to you (to your homes). If you do not offer gifts to your neighbours, then it means that they have no value (they mean nothing to you) in your eyes. And it is usually in human culture to have a tendency to give gifts to people of the same social rank than themselves or to those who are superior to them (in rank). And so, they forget to honour those who have the lowermost status or are less affluent and lower in rank than them. This should start with the lowest level and continue at the highest level. In terms of human relations, gift-giving is a culture inherent to humans. And usually they frequent the circles of people that form part of their own (social) order or those who are superior to them. But the Quran has given a very important advice against this.

Love and Sacrifice

The Quran says that when you spend something for the cause of Allah, then you must ensure that this expenditure does not flow only among yourselves. This expenditure (for His cause, in His path) must reach those who are below you (in respect to social status), or in other words, those who are in need. If you are doing this action for the cause of Allah, then you must keep in mind that all humans are creatures of Allah (and deserve the same treatment), lest these good deeds that you do to your relatives or even to your neighbours but only for ostentation, such as present them with gifts etc. will be in vain. Thus, it will become an action that will appeal only to your ego, your passion, your own self (nafs) and not to Allah.

As Allah says in the Quran: “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)

Human Rights and Justice Matters

Today (1^st May), some countries in the world are celebrating International Workers’ Day, or Labour Day. Whether in France, or other major countries of the world, many, including Mauritius celebrate Labour Day to commemorate the working class, to give a just impetus to the injustices they had to suffer throughout the years. This is a holiday where the mass and the superpowers also must reflect on the human side of workers, regardless of their rank in the work industry and give them all the rights they deserve. Unfortunately, it is a sad fact that despite that the rights of workers and all people are recognized, but these rights are rarely taken into consideration.

Injustice today reigns in favour of the “strong”.

Injustice, despite the fact that it is considered one of the most repulsive characters of man, continues to make havoc in every corner of the world. We witness it in our daily lives. It is no longer seen as something bad but something good! People ignore its seriousness. The situation is completely reversed. Instead of making justice govern our decisions, our reasoning and our judgment, it is injustice that has the upper hand. Even stranger, man rejoices in his unjust act without considering the grievous consequences that await him.

The injustice towards others is something the Lord of the Worlds has categorically prohibited. He even forbade it on Himself. Injustice is a major sin and manifests itself in many forms. In the world of work, the injustice of bosses, entrepreneurs, businessmen towards their employees, their workers, their servants is not a secret. How many thousands of workers are poorly paid or denied their wages or their rights while their bosses lead a life of luxury, in extreme extravagance breaking the heart of these poor people! Similarly, we witness injustice in the legal field. When a man in power accuses a weak low-ranking person, the latter is quickly judged and undergoes his sentence without defence.

'Show Respect for Human Rights'

On oppression and discrimination in history 

Throughout ages, history has borne witness to the inequalities which man inflicts upon himself. He callously degrades some of his identical selves (humans like himself), while elevating others. Thus, man and man got separated through the passage of time because of colour, race, creed, culture and ethnicity. Some became superiors while some inferiors. And the inferiors had to comply with the wishes and commands of those who had the upper hand upon them, for if they refuse to do so, they would be severely punished and degraded further. (Inset: Le Morne Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site- a  rugged mountain that juts into the Indian Ocean in the southwest of Mauritius. "It was used as a shelter by runaway slaves, maroons, through the 18th and early years of the 19th centuries. Protected by the mountain’s isolated, wooded and almost inaccessible cliffs, the escaped slaves formed small settlements in the caves and on the summit of Le Morne. The oral traditions associated with the maroons, have made Le Morne a symbol of the slaves’ fight for freedom, their suffering, and their sacrifice, all of which have relevance to the countries from which the slaves came - the African mainland, Madagascar, India, and South-east Asia. Indeed, Mauritius, an important stopover in the eastern slave trade, also came to be known as the “Maroon republic” because of the large number of escaped slaves who lived on Le Morne Mountain").

Spirituality and human rights

Prophets of Allah came to bring about a change in that state of affairs. The commandments of Allah came through to bring about hope in the life of those whom society viewed as inferior and as having no dignity and the freedom to express their rights as fellow human beings.

Prophets of Allah tried their best to bring about a change, but every time their heartfelt wishes were crushed until the ultimate saviour of mankind was born and promised to create a new world where every man should live as equals, for this is the absolute command of God Almighty who has created all humans alike, except in piety, for those who are truly pious, they are those who truly realise the goal of life, and that of their own creations and presence on earth. That promised hope came in such a country where hope was previously absent, where men and women were treated as the worst of animals, where it existed such a society which were devoid of human attributes.  It was in that society which Allah chose to raise His greatest and the seal of all prophets (last law-bearing prophet), to accomplish a miracle by transforming the lives of those barbarous people, and teaching them humanity, morality and spirituality.

Unfortunately, despite the clear signs of Allah, of Islam and the Holy Prophet of Islam Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), by sending and implementing respectively the divine commandments to bring about transformation in the lives of those barbarous people, and turn them in real affectionate and compassionate human beings and servants of God, yet despite all these, Islam and its prophet are vehemently viewed as greatest promoters of terror for some ignorant people who have not studied the heart itself of the extraordinary life of the best of men and prophets of Allah.

On Islam's alleged 'tolerance' of Slavery 

In the context of the Abolition of Slavery which is commemorated in Mauritius every February 01 – and for which it is a public holiday – I have chosen to talk to you about one allegation against Islam and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It is alleged that Islam encourages slavery, but it a fact that Islam is the greatest enemy of slavery, and has put an end to all modes of reducing men to slavery which were current in pre-Islamic days. Islam forbids the reduction to slavery of men who are captured for no reason, or merely because they belong to a hostile tribe or nation, or who have been taken prisoners in worldly wars.

Husband and Wife: Rights and Limits

Men are guardians over women by (right of) what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend from their wealth. (An-Nisa, 4: 35)

In the same verse Allah (swt) continues to say that righteous women should be devoutly obedient, guarding in (the husband’s) absence what Allah would have them guard, even if nobody is watching them.

Therefore, based on this Qur'anic verse, the husband’s responsibility to fulfill his duties towards his wives is as important as those of the wives (or wife, should he have only one) towards their husband. And the Qur'an makes us understand that a husband has a little more authority upon his wife/wives than the latter upon him.

This verse of the Qur'an also shows that both man and wife enjoy each, rights (which have been bestowed to them by Allah) and which they have the right to demand from each other. And Allah (swt) has also showed the relation and responsibility which must exist between husband and wife whereby each one knows his/her rights.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran: “They are an apparel (garment) for you and you are an apparel for them.” (2: 188)

By revealing this verse, Allah (swt) wanted to make us understand that the rights of both the husband and wife are equal. You all know that garments are meant to cover our body, especially its defects. Moreover, garments are means to embellish ourselves, man and woman and to protect us from heat and cold.

By likening the husband and wife as garments, Islam wants to show that a good wife is one who protects the honour and dignity of her husband, and she does not go outside and relate to creatures the defects/weaknesses of her husband, and similarly a good husband is one who does not humiliate, blame or relate the defects/weaknesses of his wife with others. This is the beauty of Islam, whereas the garment mentioned means Purdah (covering). The beauty therein is the way in which the woman must neither uncover her beauty nor her clothing before other men. She is to reserve that right to her husband. As for the husband, he is to remain loyal to his life (he must not lead a bad life). It is then that there shall be peace, tranquillity and blessings in their household.

'Bigotry has no place in Islam'

Islam and Human Dignity

From the very beginning, Islam has strongly condemned racial discrimination and has done everything possible to remove the artificial barriers between tribes and between nations. For the first time in the history of humanity, a new standard for judging the qualities of man was stated in the Holy Quran in these solemn words:

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (49: 14)

This statement sounded the death knell for all kinds of aristocracies, whether of birth, caste or wealth. The black people found themselves on the same level as the white people. Suddenly and forever, the colour of such abominable prejudice was rejected.

Even today, with the passage of time, incidents such as those of Little Rock are hardly heard in the Islamic countries and the problems of discrimination law as before what is happening in South Africa have neither arisen in the Middle East nor the Far East.

“An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab and a non-Arab has no superiority to an Arab, you are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay.”

Those are the memorable words of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) in the valley of Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage (his first and last one). What was the result?

At these solemn words, the social pride of the Arabs was driven away. The difference between Arabs and non-Arabs, similar to that which existed between Jews and pagans, Greeks and barbarians, patricians and plebeians was brutally stripped of the halo of old antiquity. The weak and the oppressed ceased to receive alms according to the whims of the wealthy. Religion had now given them legitimate rights to the property of the rich as well as in politics. The woman, who suffered because of the weakness of her physical stature and who was simply considered as mere commodity, was put on the same footing as man.

Questioning the Violence Against Women

“And when people are brought together,

And when the girl-child buried alive is questioned about,

‘For what crime was she killed?’

And when books are spread abroad,”

              -The Holy Qur’an [Ch: 81, v. 8-11]

The great Qur’anic prophecies regarding the Signs of the Latter Days certainly seem to have come to fruition in our age. A question to ponder: When the signs are apparent and obvious, wouldn’t Allah raise His Messenger as well? As the Qur’an tells us: “There are lessons for those endowed with reasoning”.

Reflective and discerning individuals would be awestruck by the stunning, literal fulfilment of Divine prophecies in our times. Consider this: the single most important fact of our times is the unprecedented and extraordinary phenomena of globalization. The great prophecy of the Holy Qur’an “when people are brought together” is magnificently fulfilled, literally in our times, in several, different ways thanks to the explosion in communication technologies and transportation mechanisms. Likewise, no age before ours has witnessed the transnational exchange of books and ideas as much as we do today: in the age of Internet, the virtual world of cyberspace fosters an information revolution of unimaginable proportions.

It is also of particular interest to note that in our times, at a time when even in Muslim societies, the equality of legal protection offered by Islam to women had been subverted by the misogynist, traditional interpretations, the assertion of women’s dignity and rights, identity and choices have begun to gain legitimacy and recognition in the public sphere. In any case, no age before ours has witnessed as much concern for the protection and dignity and rights of women and girls as much as our own age. 

Meeting on the heels of high profile violence cases against women in India and elsewhere that fuelled global outrage and rising demands for justice, the 57^th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, March 04- 15, 2013, adopted a forward-looking Agreed Conclusions. The document strongly emphasizes that violence against women is a human rights violation and calls special attention to the need for women’s and girls’ safety in public spaces, and for attitudinal changes through challenging gender stereotypes. It highlights the need to strengthen legal and policy frameworks, with important provisions on ending impunity, and ensuring accountability and access to justice, as well as addressing domestic violence. 

Reproduced below is extracts from a Speech delivered on March 08, 2013- International Women’s Day- by the distinguished Executive Director of UN Women, Madame Michelle Bachelet on “Gender-Motivated Killings of Women, Including Femicide”:

Prophet Muhammad (sa) and His Marriages

Both anti-Islam elements and mindlessly ignorant critics have long called attention to the multiple marriages of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa), in an effort to tarnish the sublime spiritual life of the father of Muslims and to decry that Islam has no space for women’s dignity and rights. Nothing can be further from the truth. For history and traditions of the Muslims testify that the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) elevated the status of women in society through his precepts and practices. If one cares to examine the historical record in its entirety and the material circumstances of the events of the Prophet’s marriages and the times in which such marriages happened, one could come to an intelligent conclusion-that Islam and the Holy Prophet (sa) upheld the dignity and rights and status of women in society. 

In his Friday Sermon of 25 January 2013, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius continued his exposition on some important aspects of the life of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa), a theme he began in the previous week. The Sermon especially provides profound insights on the attitude of the Holy Prophet (sa) towards women and the circumstances of his many marriages. In a fractured and divided tribal society, where women’s lives were considered cheap and disposable, the Prophet’s marriages brought dignity to vulnerable, widowed women and protection to their young children, mend the faultiness of tribal discord, raised the status of slave women, provided unique opportunities for the training of the Ummah on religious values and norms, points out the Messenger of Allah of our times.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

Islam has over the centuries been both commended and criticised concerning the rights of women in society. The modern westerners flaunt the so-called liberty of their women folk before the world, and in their ignorance falsely allege that Islam reserves an inferior place to woman and that she is more of a slave than a person of equal status to man. Whilst the world before Islam casted women as a lowly thing, with the advent of Islam the woman regain her true identity as excellent servant of God, and man’s great treasure, help and equal. 

Islam and Human Rights

In his special sermon of October 05, 2012 on the occasion of the Annual Conference [“JALSA SALANA”] of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius reflected on the fundamental values on which the edifice of human society is constituted. Paying rich tributes to the idea of human freedom and individual liberty from an Islamic perspective,  Hadhrat Sahib underscores the profound correlation between the recognition of identity and individual rights and societal peace and progress.  

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

A society is made up of a number of individuals. That’s why Islam has provided a lot of directions for the freedom, progress and protection of the individual. The individual has been granted full liberty of conscience by this revelation to the Prophet (saw): “LA IKRAHA FIDDIN” There’s no compulsion in religion.

Each member has a mind of his own and is free to make his own choice. Man has been granted a free will and he can make use of his own judgement. He is not an automation directed by a blind force. This freedom of conscience, this liberty to choose and make our own destiny, that has been granted to every individual member as his birthright is considered – and justly so – to be the greatest blessing of God to humanity.