Follow 'Sunnah', Avoid 'Shirk'

 

Ashhadu alla ilaha illallahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.

I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is His servant and Messenger. 

In our proclamation of faith, as Allah says in Surah Al-Baqara, Chapter 2, Verse 286: “The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All of them have faith in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. [And they say] ‘We make no distinction between any of His Messengers.’ And they also say: ‘We hear and we obey. Forgive us, our Lord, for to You is the final return.’”

 

When a Messenger of Allah comes, especially a Messenger and Prophet who comes after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), his role is to hold firmly to the Quran and ensures that he guides people to the commandments of this best Book. The Quran is special because it represents the total sum of laws that Allah has ordained for humanity. It is not applicable only to a particular era but applies at all times, as long as there are people on earth. People have been given a perfect guide in the person of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), whom Allah made a representation of the Quran on earth.

Our Islamic Faith - 2

 

Ashhadu alla ilaha illallahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.

 

I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is His servant and Messenger.

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I continue on the same subject of faith, my faith, and what Allah has commanded us, Muslims and humanity, to believe.

 

As I mentioned last week, Allah created Jinns and humans to worship Him alone, without associating any other deities with Him in His worship.

 

While the Jinns are responsible for their own actions, we, humanity, are also responsible for our own actions. Therefore, Allah created humans and the universe with a purpose. The purpose of human creation is that within the limits of their capacities, they manifest the divine attributes within themselves. To achieve this objective, Allah has given humans the appropriate faculties and capacities and has placed the universe at their service. But that’s not all! It is essential for humans to follow the laws set by Allah so that they receive the necessary guidance to stay on the right path. How does Allah ensure that humans receive His guidance? It is through His prophets and Messengers.

Faith, Peace, Happiness

 

As the world is engulfed in multiple crises leading to all round restlessness, humanity is in grave danger. Preoccupied with lopsided pursuits, man is on the verge of losing himself to sheer madness. Conflicts and chaos stare him at all levels of human relationships: neither in the global order nor in his national life, there is harmony and tranquillity. Be in inter- community relations, or in the intimate space of family, there is no peace, nor any happiness. Hence, the question of inner and outer peace suggests itself as an urgent concern for humanity at large in our times.

 

In the last week of December 2024, the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- India held its annual conferences in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius addressed the gatherings of his disciples and followers in India on 29 December 2024. In this special discourse, Hazrat Saheb (aba) addresses himself on how Islamic values promote tranquility and happiness in all realms of human relationships.  

 

Read the Text of the Speech Below:

I am the 'Mahdi' of this Era

  

On the 'Mahdi'

Today, we come on a most controversial subject, even among Muslims, and that is the advent of the Mahdi. Both the second advent of the Messiah, as well as the Mahdi of the Last Days represent each a prophecy in itself, such a prophecy which links the both of them: Messiah and Mahdi.

Bear in mind that “Mahdi” is derived from the word, “Haadi”, which means “to guide” and “Massih” means “the Anointed One”. Now, the term “anointed” refers to the ritual act of pouring or rubbing oil on a person as a sign of sanctification. In a broader sense, it signifies being chosen or set apart for a special purpose or role. We use “anointed” not just for prophets but for kings as well when they are chosen to rule over their kingdom.

 

When we study the information on Mahdi, we notice that he is not directly and clearly mentioned in the Holy Quran as well as the two most authentic Books of Hadiths in Islam, i.e. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim. There are many narrations on Mahdi, the larger part of them being qualified as weak (Da’if) or not so authentic by the Muslim Ummah. But then, if Mahdi is not plainly mentioned in Quran and both Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim have avoided mentioning him in their respective Sahihs, how then to be sure that one Hadith which the Muslim Ummah regards as weak (Da’if) can actually be powerfully true and be fulfilled in this era?

Miracles of 'Tawheed'

 The Duahs of the Holy Prophet ^(pbuh) & The Promise of Allah- Part 1

 

If today we are Muslims, and we have received the names and titles of Muslims, it is only through Allah and His greatest, most honourable and most perfect prophet [from among all Messengers and Prophets] Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). He was someone who preferred to sacrifice worldly pleasures for the greatest pleasure, i.e. the spiritual pleasure which is eternal. And the meaning of this spiritual pleasure is to acquire the love of Allah and His approval and mercy. So, through his sacrifices, obedience, goodness, and following the divine instructions he received, he (pbuh) has secured a reserved and most honourable place for him in the “heart” and “sight” of Allah.

 

That great personality who is the most perfect of all law-bearing and non-law-bearing prophets is none but Muhammad (pbuh). He was born in Arabia at a time when Arabia and the rest of the world were plunged into the darkness of infidelity to Allah. Idolatry was rampant and caused havoc everywhere. It was him, a very humble and weak human who was moreover an orphan – of both mother and father – from his early childhood, who enabled a great spiritual revolution in the world, not just in Arabia.

 

Bear in mind that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) did not let himself be attracted by gold and silver, by the superficial riches of this world. He preferred sacrificing for His Ummah so that they [i.e. all of us, his followers] may harvest the good of the hereafter as well as the pleasure of Allah when they [we, Muslims] follow in his footsteps.

‘You Are Not A Muslim’

  

Sufyan Bin Abdullah related, “I said to the Messenger of Allah, ‘Tell me a statement on Islam such that I need ask no one else but you about it’. He told me, ‘Say, ‘I believe in God,’ and be upright.’ ”  

‘One who observes the same prayer as we do, faces the same direction in prayer as we do, and partakes from the animal slaughtered by us, then such a one is a Muslim concerning whom there is a Covenant of Allah and His Messenger: so you must not seek to hoodwink Allah in the matter of this Covenant.’  

'A believer is still within the scope of his religion as long as he does not shed forbidden blood....If anyone curses a believer, that is like murdering him; and if anyone accuses a believer of disbelief, that is like murdering him...A slanderer will not enter the Garden of Paradise’. 

 

‘People, We created you all from male and female, and made you into races and tribes so that you should get to know one another [like relatives from the same origin]. In God’s eyes, the most honoured of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware’. (Holy Qur'an, 49: 14)

Qur’an and Spiritual Life

  

‘Indeed the Qur’an guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward.’  [17:9]

‘We send the Qur’an as healing and mercy for those who believe’ (17:82)

‘One who recites the Qur’an is like a citron, whose flavour is good and whose scent is good. One who does not recite the Qur’an is like a date, whose flavour is good but which has no scent. An immoral person who recites the Qur’an is like basil, whose scent is good but whose taste is bitter. And an immoral person who does not recite the Qur’an is like the colocynth, whose taste is bitter and which has no scent.’ 

                                - Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa)

 

 

On Monday 12 August 2024, in a special ‘Question and Answer’ session with Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir Ahmad Azim (aba), a bunch of Muslim students from the University of Mauritius had the chance of a lifetime to seek spiritual guidance from the Shiekh-ul-Islam of this era, Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah.

 

Reproduced below is a summary of the responses given by Hazrat Saheb (aba) to the questions that were raised on the occasion:

Tarbiyyat Lessons- 22

                         

       Every morning

Allah says:

One more time,

Live life, be kind;

Make a difference;

Touch one heart,

Encourage one mind,

Inspire one soul,

And bless everyone.

**************

 

Always Choose

To heal, not to hurt;

To forgive, not to despise;

To persevere, not to quit;

To smile, not to frown;

And to love, not to hate.

*************

Signs of True Muslims

 

Tarbiyyat Lessons- 21

Islamic teachings empower individuals in their everyday lives. Divine commands in the Holy Qur’an guide our souls and minds to distinguish between what is right and wrong so as to truly prosper through a God-centric life of pure devotion, clean habits, justice-orientation, and spirit of kinship and service to all humanity. If we hold true Faith and sincere allegiance to the Way of Life practiced by the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa), it will enable us to form personal habits and preferences that will reflect the true wisdom of the same values he preached. When we embrace Islam in our inner temperament and behaviour, we will be intuitively guided to good deeds and productive habits; we will also move away from frivolity and wastage and bad habits, and truly prioritize that which will benefit the individual person, her family and friends and the society at large, both in this world and in the world to come, Insha Allah.

*****************

 

‘The servants of the Lord of Mercy are those who walk humbly on the earth, and who, when the foolish address them, reply, ‘Peace’; those who spend the night bowed down or standing, worshipping their Lord, who plead, ‘Our Lord, turn away from us the suffering of Hell, for it is a dreadful torment to suffer! It is an evil home, a foul resting place!’

 

They are those who are neither wasteful nor niggardly when they spend, but keep to a just balance; those who never invoke any other deity beside God, nor take a life, which God has made sacred, except in the pursuit of justice, nor commit adultery.

The Sanctity of Places of Worship

 

In democratic theory, freedom of religion includes freedom to profess, practice, and propagate the beliefs that are closely held by a person and worship in a place of worship with security, regardless of what others think about his beliefs, or faith. Yet, in actually existing conditions in our societies, often majoritarian groups try to control and limit the freedoms of worship available to minority religious groups, often attacking the places of worship of such minority groups. Indeed, in an era of identity politics, inter-religious tensions as well as intra-religious sectarian strife within communities, places of worship of different religious communities bear the 'markings' of the times.

Consider the recent inaugural of a grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya in India. At the very place where a historic Masjid of the Muslim community stood for close to four-centuries, after destroying the Masjid, a Hindu Temple is recently built over there, after the country's top court endorses Hindu claims over the mosque on the basis of religious majoritarianism! While Hindu extremists executed the despicable crime of destroying the historic Masjid after a vicious hate campaign against the Muslim minority, the Indian State-despite its supposed secular neutrality- exonerated and rewarded, rather than punishing, the thugs involved in the horrific crime. [Inset: Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, a picture from the 19th century, taken by Samuel Bourne, sourced from Wikipedia]. 

While in India, extreme-rightwing Hindu assertions of majoritarianism trump the rights of the Muslim minorities on a range of issues; in Pakistan, it is Sunni fundamentalism that thrives at the cost of other minority groups within- such as the Ahmadi Muslims. For the Ahmadis of Pakistan, in the last several decades, the freedom to worship in a place of their choice without hindrance is at stake due to the Mullahs calling the shots in society through blasphemy laws and violent mobilizations, attacking Ahmadi mosques and killing Ahmadis- painting a bloody picture of gross distortion of foundational Islamic teachings by the far right among the Muslims. [Inset: debris of an Ahmadi mosque demolished in Sialkot, Pakistan, May 2018].       

 

Against this backdrop, in his Friday Sermon of 28 June 2024~21 Dhul-Hijjah 1445 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius reflects profoundly on Islamic teachings on the sanctity of places of worship. Hazrat Saheb (aba) gives an exposition, and underscores the need for all Muslims to understand, respect and adhere to correct teachings of Islam when it comes to our approach towards the places of worship of other communities as well as fellow groups within the Muslim community. 

Chaos in the World

In his Friday Sermon of 14 June 2024~ 07 Dhul-Hijjah 1445 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius profoundly reflects on the ongoing conflicts- the portent signs of chaotic disorder in the contemporary international system. Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) underscores that at the root of the present chaos in the world lies the ‘worship’ of the Satan. Indeed, when the Faith weakens, and fear of God is lost, people are lured by the hedonistic trappings of this world: they will aggressively pursue material interests and selfish impulses without any concern for moral restraints, nor for the broader good- resulting in all round conflicts and chaos.  

Indeed, wars and other forms of severe calamities are engulfing and afflicting our world. With entire nations being devastated by the hands of unscrupulous men, the catastrophic events should inspire deep soul-searching. For thoughtful people, there is little doubt that in the interest of our common humanity; urgent course-correction is required on all sides for peace and tranquillity to prevail in the world: there is no alternative to recognizing the power of principles and ethical conduct as ordained by God Almighty through His prophets- the Divine laws brought by the messengers through divine revelations.

Historically, the early Muslims under Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), and the righteous Caliphs established principles and rules of social engagement injecting compassion and humane considerations, including in times of war, in the just treatment of prisoners of war and conquered peoples, women and children. Yet today, the Muslim world has lost its original moral moorings, and rich nations among them are ignoring their vital obligations of solidarity, and are often complicit in the oppression of the persecuted, siding with the oppressive forces, or in any case, preferring to remain neutral even in times of great evil. They seem to give priority to their own economic development and national progress, neglecting the obligations of Faith and morality. True devotees of God should re-establish Islamic values and way of life through Duahs, personal reform, and reclaiming the spirit of sacrifice and striving for the collective good, urges Hazrat Saheb (aba) in the discourse. 

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

Syria, Golan Heights, & Israel

Modern international law has colonial origins; yet it has evolved much in the post-colonial times, especially after the end of the Second World War; with the establishment of the Charter-based mechanisms and processes of multilateral cooperation under the United Nations Organization. From being merely an imperial handmaiden in the past, international law has progressed to a great extend to articulate the common standard of civilization and human rights in our multicultural world today, and States, by and large, respect and abide by international law and treaty obligations most of the time. A vital standard of State conduct conferring global legitimacy, the 'soul' of international law stands for peace and strives for justice in our power-oriented, complex international system. 

Contemporary International law insists upon non-use of force as a foundational principle of the world public order. Hence, the military conquest of nations, or ‘aggression’, is a crime under international law. Likewise, acquisition of a territory belonging to another nation through coercive method/s is also prohibited. As a consequence of this clear normative position, territorial aggrandizement through conquest will not be recognized by the international community. The conquering State cannot hope to gain any valid title to the newly acquired territory under international law as no legitimacy is attached to the taking of territory through military occupation. Consider the case of Israel. Notwithstanding the fact that it has been effectively controlling several Arab territories occupied through war for over five decades, international community continues to reject Israel's sovereignty claims over such territories, including in the cases of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. 

In his Friday Sermon of 07 June 2024~29 Dhul-Qaddah 1445 AH, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius spoke about the persisting, ongoing illegal occupation and annexation of the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights by Israel since 1967/1981. As Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) rightly notes, many blatant illegalities are being perpetuated with impunity by the State of Israel on the lands of its Arab neighbours. Strong economic, military and technological support of the United States provides the material basis for Israeli excesses in the Middle East. Perhaps equally important is the complicity of important Arab leaders who have their own secret relations with the Jewish State even in the midst of the latter's despicable crimes against the Palestinian people, as well as its continued, illegal occupation and annexation of Arab territories, including the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights. Hazrat Saheb (aba) alludes that the enemies of Islam have been able to get away for so long with their manifest illegalities and high crimes against the Muslim peoples in a religious, political and strategic context of manifest internal weaknesses, disunity, and internecine conflicts. Fair-minded people in Europe and elsewhere are increasingly becoming aware of the horrific extend of Israeli/US highhandedness in the Middle East. Be that as it may, it is by reclaiming the true spirit of Faith, including the duties of solidarity, that Muslim nations will be able to discriminate between 'good' and 'evil', and 'friends' and 'enemies' of the Faith and of the peoples in these times. And it is by invoking Allah (swt) through fervent prayers, and by embracing the lawful methods of resistance against injustice that our Faith teaches that we can eventually triumph over the forces of evil- both internal and external- that presently pervade our backyard inflicting much suffering on the Ummah in these turbulent times, notes Hazrat Saheb (aba) in this discourse. 

Read the Friday Sermon Below:   

The Sheikh on Life Lessons- 4

 

Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International, Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius recently shared a series of profound advices for the spiritual education and benefit of his disciples and followers found in the Jamaat around the world. The message is for the purification of the soul and body of every individual believing brother and sister who are eager to pay attention and work upon this pure guidance for their own individual and collective benefit, Insha Allah, Aameen.   

Allah Says in the Qur’an:

 

Do not be rude in speech (3:160).

Restrain anger (3:135)

Be good to others (4:37)

Do not be arrogant (7:14)

Forgive others for their mistakes (7:200).

Speak to people mildly (20:45).

Lower your voice (31:20).

**********

The Sheikh on Life Lessons- 3

 

Those who learn the history of Islam will be astonished by facts that speak for themselves- the great role women believers [Sahabiyat] performed around the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) and the early Muslim community in Makkah and Madinah. Look at certain facts: the first person to embrace Islam was a woman – Hazrat Khadijah (ra); the first person to die for Islam was a woman- Hazrat Sumayya (ra). The greatest scholar of lslam was a woman – Hazrat Aisha (ra). The person who loved the Holy Prophet (sa) the most was a woman– Hazrat Fatimah al Zahra (ra). The person who made the biggest sacrifice for lslam in one day was a woman – Hazrat Khansaa (ra). One of the greatest fighters in Islamic history was a woman – Hazrat Khawla Bint Alazwar (ra); Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah.

The Sheikh on Life Lessons- 2

'Allah it hurts; it hurts a lot. 

I know You see me struggle day in and day out.

No love is greater than Your love. 

I shall be patient for Your sake. 

Fix my heart, comfort my soul, Ya Rab...! 

‘O my Rab,

from the bottom of my heart,

I want to thank You for loving me,

forgiving me, healing me,

and never leaving me’.

 

When Allah likes a person, then the condition of His liking is that He puts a lot of trials on that person. Allah tests that person again and again, because Allah wants to be close to him; Allah just wants to see how much patience and faith His servant has in his Rab.   

God's plan is always the best. Sometimes the Process is painful and hard. But don't forget that when God is silent, He's doing something for you.

When someone speaks against you, speak well of them. When you are mistreated, treat them well. Repay Evil with Good, and God will fight your battles, Insha Allah.

The Quest for the Face of God

 

‘I created jinn and mankind only to know and worship Me.’ (The Holy Qur’an, 51:57)

 

According to a famous Hadith Qudsi, God says: ‘I was a Hidden Treasure and I yearned, I loved to be known intimately. So I created the heavens and the earth so that they may know Me intimately.’

 

A true believer is a lover of God. By establishing oneself on Divine commandments and the perfect example of the noble Prophet (sa) and the Elect of God of one’s era, a true believer can aspire for a special relationship of friendship and spiritual intimacy with God Almighty through a sound, purified heart: 'The heavens and the earth cannot contain Me, but the heart of My faithful servant can contain Me'. Sincere striving with pure faith and a grateful heart opens up the gates of Divine mercy: 'So remember Me, and I shall remember you' (2:153). Indeed God loves an earnest, perfected soul when it seeks Divine nearness with a tongue always moist with the remembrance of God. In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah (swt) states: ‘He who seeks Me, finds Me; He who seeks other than Me, will never find me; Pious souls yearn to behold Me, I yearn more to behold them’.

Ramadan 2024: Public Message

 

Ramadan, Layla-tul-Qadr & Eid-ul-Fitr: 

The Blessings of A Lifetime

Muslims all round the world are commanded by God Almighty to fast the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is such a blessed month wherein the very first verses of the Holy Quran – the Holy words of Allah – were revealed to Muhammad (pbuh) through the Chief of all angels, Jibreel (Gabriel). Those first revelations have the power even today to make the true believer tremble with awe and love. Its very evocation brings about solace and happiness for the believer at the divine boon received in that blessed moment in time.

Twenty-nine or thirty days of blessings: yet, those days hold therein a concealed night, wrapped in the mystery of divine knowledge, to deliver to those who successfully attain and receive it, the blessings of a lifetime. The Night of Decree (Layla-tul-Qadr) as this night is called is like the most precious of pearls, more precious than any treasure in this world. It is the gateway to such divine blessings which can erase a sincere person’s sins and make him pure like a newborn babe.

'Zikr Allah' - VI

  

Allah the Almighty has said: "Remember Me, and I will remember you; and be thankful to Me and not be ungrateful Me." (Al-Baqarah, 2: 153)

 

In the light of this verse which I have read before you, I am thus continuing my sermon on the Remembrance of Allah. The Remembrance of Allah (Zikr Allah) is so important that since the creation of this universe, Allah has talked a lot about it, and both the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) have stressed a lot on the Remembrance of Allah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to personally engage himself in the Remembrance of Allah; wherever he went, he used to remember Allah a lot and he also advised his companions and all the people found in his community and also humanity at large to engage themselves in the Remembrance of Allah, even though these people have rejected him, and that they do not believe in Islam, in the Book of Allah and His teachings.

 

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: "Engage yourselves completely in the Remembrance of Allah to such an extent that people consider you mad."