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).

Beliefs and Practices in Shi‘a Islam

The Shi'a belief on 'Imamat'

The Shiites believe that after the death of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and this till the end of the world, Allah has nominated twelve Imams. According to them, those twelve Imams had been nominated by Allah through Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The first Imam according to them is Ali (ra), the second one, his son, Imam Hassan, the third one Imam Hussein and the rest of the nine Imams being found in their bloodline.

From the first Imam (i.e. Ali) till the eleventh Imam (Hassan Askari), all died a natural death like the rest of mankind. As for the twelfth Imam, the son of Hassan Askari, he mysteriously disappeared in this youth and went into hiding in a cave. Now till the end of the world, according to the Shiites, he alone has the exclusive right to reign upon the world. The belief in Imamat is obligatory (Farz) for a Shiite and the one who does not believe in it shall see himself being rewarded hell as resting place. In one of their books, Al-Kafila there is the mention that if the earth (i.e. the world) remain without an Imam, it shall sink. Still according to this book, the (Shiites) Imams are selected by Allah just like Allah chose the prophets.

The Origin of the Sect

Shia in itself is not a religion; it is a sect in Islam. After the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar (ra) and during the caliphate of Hazrat Uthman (ra), Islam propagated in several countries outside Arabia, such as Persia, etc. Many people accepted Islam at that time. Many entered the fold of Islam sincerely while many others entered therein hypocritically.

Peace and Unity among Ahmadis

The world of Islam today is splintered on denominational and sectarian lines. The lineages of the great divide among the Muslims go far back into history, originating in the disputes over obedience to authority and the sharing of power in the times after the Holy Prophet (sa) and his rightly-guided successors, the pious Caliphs. It’s a searing fact of history that after that first century of Islam, the Muslims had never been united as a single spiritual and political order. With the great schism among the believers leading to the formation of sectarian identity among them; the lofty identity of Islam receded to the backdrop and the Muslims were reduced to be either Sunnis or Shiites and in course of time, with the entrenchment of deep divisions over questions of Islamic law, new groups emerged among them on sectarian lines.

Indeed, there is no monolithic/single/unified ‘Islam’ in our times; there are many ‘Islams’ as the proliferation of religious groupings among the nearly two billion Muslims around the world so clearly demonstrate. This is unfortunately true as well, even in the relatively humble and small world of Ahmadiyya Islam- the community of Muslims assembled originally by the Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian in the previous century. Today, despite all that the Promised Massih (as) had taught about the unity of all religions in Islam, the Ahmadis or the people who claim themselves to be the followers of that great saint of Islam, themselves are splintered into numerous sects and groupings. For instance, the different Ahmadi sects include the following: Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Qadian, Anjuman Ahmadiyya Lahore, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Al Muslemun, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Islah Pasand, Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Haquiqui.

No one can deny that the Holy Qur’an had indeed warned the Muslims about the lessons of human history. Whereas unity and cohesion leads to progress and blessings, disagreement and splintering leads to decline and fall. The Divine Book says, “This community of yours is one single community, and I am your Lord. So fear Me. But they are divided into sects, each sect rejoicing in its belief.” (23: 53-54). “And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community. Yet they continue to disagree (among them) except those upon whom your Lord has bestowed His Mercy. This is why He created them ...” (11: 119-120). 

It is possible to look at the diversity of situations and the plurality of opinions among Ahmadis as the existential condition of the times we are living in. In dealing with questions where we differ among ourselves, however, it is important to keep the big picture in mind all the time- including the obligations of brotherhood left behind by the Holy Prophet (sa) when he stated: “A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. Do not hate each other and do not be jealous of each other and do not desert each other, O worshipers of Allah! Be brothers! And whoever meets the needs of his brother, Allah will meet his needs”. Indeed, the Ahmadi believers have a duty to respect the integrity and religious choices of our fellow humans found in different sects of Islam. Rather than seeking to project narrow interests, group-based prejudices and sectarian mindsets; engage with the brethren in faith in a spirit of solidarity and kindness in furthering the shared ideals of Islam. 

An Appeal to All 

In October 2008, in the seventh year of the present Divine Manifestation, Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius made a fervent, Divinely-inspired Appeal to all mankind, especially to his Ahmadi brothers found in various sects of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya to improve the quality of their spiritual engagements and public debates and to rise above their sectarian perspectives so as to truly embrace the purpose of a spiritual life. 

Read the Document Below:

Hijri Era: Islamic Calendar

THE ISLAMIC CALENDAR

I shall now address you some explanations on the Islamic Calendar. The Islamic Calendar has a story and origin and we should know about it.

All nations used to keep count of years as from a specific epoch. Whenever there was a highly important event that is known to the whole world, then people took it as a starting point of an epoch, to start a calendar. The best way to start a calendar would have been to date it back to the advent of Hazrat Adam (as) on earth or even start the calendar as from the deluge in the times of Hazrat Nuh (as), for these are highly important events in history. But unfortunately, we do not have exact information on the times when these events occurred. Therefore, each nation took as starting point a main event/ situation which they witnessed in their own times.

It has been reported that the descendants of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) began to count the days/ years as from the day that he was thrown into the fire. As for the Arabs, they based their calendar on the Year of the Elephant, and here is its story:

A Poem on ‘Taubah’

On Repentance and Returning to Allah

The time has come for me to see after the darkness of ignorance

My old age is a morning that calls me to its dawning rays

The night of youth is short, so proceed deliberately

The morning is the end of the road for the night traveler.

How have I been deceived by the world and its adornment,

Building my home on the crumbling ground, at the edge of a precipice?

A home whose transgressions remain, but whose delights perish:

How wretched is such a home!

The happy one is not one who is delighted by his worldly trinkets;

Rather, the happy one is the one saved from the torment of Hell.

I have awakened from wickedness, fearful and trembling,

For Allah knows my deeds, open and secret.

If I hold my sins to be grave and they fill me with despair,

I can only hope that they will be eradicated,

By the One who alone can do so…

The All Forgiving.

---(Written by Hadhrat Abul Hasan Abdul Aziz al-Jurjani (ra). Translated from the Arabic by Zaid Shakir)

Death and the Purpose of Life

"Exalted is He who holds all control in His hands; who has power over all things; who created death and life to test you and reveal which of you does best- He is the Mighty, the Forgiving"-- (Surah Mulk, 67: 2-3).

"God has humbled the son of Adam with death, and has made the world an abode of life, then an abode of death, and made the Hereafter an abode of recompense, then an abode of eternal abiding" --- Prophet Muhammad (sa)  

As a religion, Islam is an appeal to the conscience of the humans to deploy their God-given Free Will to lead a clear and pure life in the path of God. It is an open invitation to everyone to recognize the true purpose of life- the Worship of the Divine to the exclusion of all other so called 'deities'- by purifying their souls, by getting rid of the spiritual and moral diseases that otherwise come in the way of such higher realization. And 'Muslims' are those who subordinate and surrender their personal needs and desires to conform to the Will and commandments of Allah and His Messenger and strive in His cause. The trade-off they have to make is between the chance gains of this life and the enduring rewards of the Hereafter. Hence, to live in obedience to the dictates of religion and to die in that state of submission to the Will of Allah, is a conscious choice that every true believer makes through her belief and practice in every day life. 

In his Friday Sermon of 20 July 2018 (06 Dhul Qaddah 1439 AH), Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius speaks about the transient nature of our worldly life to remind us about the inevitability of our accountability in the world to come. 

In this eloquent discourse steeped in Qur'anic wisdom and illuminating insights, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) provides a series of practical guidelines that followers of the Divine Path can keep in mind in their everyday life. For, everyone has to be prepared to face the record of their deeds on the Day of Resurrection. As Hadhrat Saheb (atba) notes, a believer can prepare herself for that ultimate reality of Facing God on the Day of Judgement in the following way: by recognizing the truthfulness of the Divine Messages and prophecies chronicled in the Qur'an and the Ahadith; by learning from the exemplary lives of the Divine servants of the past; by recognizing the value of invoking fervent prayers directed to the court of the Almighty for steadfastness and courage to remain in the spiritual path, and also by recalling the fleeting nature of life and the unavoidable journey to the grave after death. It is also instructive to note that embracing the True Path/Faith is a favour that one does to one's own self and nobody else, and it is certainly not a favour to God. Our extolling God cannot add to His glory, nor does our disobedience to His Elects can take away of His grandeur and dignity. On the other hand, when you earnestly strive in the path of glorification and sublime obedience, God bestows purification and radiance to your soul in this very world- indeed happy endings are for the truly devout. Whether to remain in obedience to God and receive the benefits of enduring blessings, or to disobey the Divine commands in search of fleeting pleasures that will only bring ultimate loss- that is the choice that every human has to make in life, reminds Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba).  

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

Recall Death

For all of us, our journey on earth is limited. Sooner or later we will have to return to our Creator and present ourselves before Him. Those who fear Allah the most have only one wish, which is, to stay in His obedience - the obedience of Allah - throughout their lives. This, in order to prevent them from dying while they were in disobedience of Allah because the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “Every slave will be resurrected in the state upon which he died” (Muslim)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) here speaks of our state when we die either as a disbeliever or as a believer. Each individual must therefore seek by all means to hold firm to his faith, the true faith (i.e. Islam), throughout his life on earth so that when he dies, despite that his family may be crying over losing a loved one, but the person (now dead), will be happy to join his Creator. For this, he must:

(1) Believe in the word of Allah and Muhammad (pbuh).

It is so easy for us to believe in the words of people like us. If we are told that tomorrow there will be an increase in the price of fuel, how many of us will rush today itself to the gas stations to refuel?

In the fourth chapter of the Holy Quran, Allah says: “Allah! There is no god but He: He will surely gather you together on the Day of Judgment, about which there is no doubt. And whose word can be truer than Allah’s?” (An-Nisa, 4: 88)

Qur'an: On Relations with War Captives

Retrieving the humane and egalitarian voice of the Qur’an is an important task of our times, especially in contexts where politico-militant groups seek to co-opt certain interpretations of the Islamic Shari’ah to promote their dubious projects that subjugate women’s dignity, rights and moral agency. 

Consider the treatment of captured women in war/ “female slaves” by the so-called ‘Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’ (ISIS) under ‘Caliph’ Abu Baker Al Baghdadi. During 2014-’17, when the ISIS under the Caliph ruled over an ‘Islamic State’ after his band of fighters and followers held control over parts of Iraq and Syria; it captured hundreds of females belonging to the minority Yazidi community as prisoners of war. Claiming that Islamic theology permits both the enslavement and the establishment of sexual relations with women captives, the ISIS established “slave markets” in the areas under its control to “trade” in the ‘female slaves’ so as to distribute them among the fighters of the Islamic State. When some of those young women and teenage girls escaped from the clutches of these marauders operating in the name of 'Islam', their harrowing experiences sent shock-waves across the global community. 

The beliefs and actions of the Islamic State and its Maulawis who issued the edicts in favour of establishing slave markets to trade in war captives scandalize the fair name of Islam- the pristine faith of  devout Muslims around the world. The Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian spoke presciently on this dire state of affairs in the previous era, when he wrote: 

"Islam today is in a very precarious state, and its light has been almost completely eclipsed. The Muslims have erred not only in their beliefs but also in their practices. They have fabricated some Traditions which have not only adversely affected their character, but are also contrary to the Divine law of nature. For example, Divine law has established three basic human rights: One must not kill an innocent person, one must not injure someone’s honour, and one must not unjustly appropriate another person’s property. And yet there are Muslims who break all three of these commandments. They murder innocent people and do not fear God, and their foolish Maulawis have even issued edicts declaring it lawful to lure away or capture women of other religions—whom they consider infidels—and to take them as wives. Similarly, they consider it lawful to usurp the property of any disbeliever through embezzlement or theft. Just consider the perilous state of the religion whose Maulawis issue such edicts! All this is the work of egotistic people who falsely attribute such teachings to God and His Messenger." (How to be Free from Sin, pp-15-16, UK: 2008 edn).

Oppressive interpretations of the Divine Speech is often a legacy of flawed Scriptural exegesis and cannot stand the critical scrutiny of Qur’an’s liberatory hermaneutics. Since the ‘Islamic State’ sought to justify the enslavement and sexual assault on female captives in terms of the Shariah, it is important to debunk these fraudulent claims by placing before the world the proper context and interpretation of the verses of the Holy Qur’an pertaining to the subject. In his Friday Sermon of 13 July 2018 (28 Shawwal 1439 AH), Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius makes an important intervention on this larger debate. 

Explaining the Qur’anic expression “Maa Malakat ‘Aymaanuhum” (What your Right Hands Possess”, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) draws attention to the need for engaging with the overall framework of the Qur’an in teasing out the meaning of the Divine Discourse. There is no verse in the Qur’an that sanctions concubines and the Holy Book affirms that married women are not lawful for other men before the dissolution of the previous marriage. To protect the dignity of unclaimed female war captives- separated from their relatives socially and morally- who would not be in a position to dissolve any previous marriage; the Qur’an, however, makes an exception in the case of such female prisoners of war and permits that relations with such women (“What your Right Hands Possess”) can be established through wedlock even if the former marriage is not formally dissolved. Any assumption that (sexual) relations with female captives is permitted without marriage is rejected by the Qur’an (24:33, 4:4, 26), points out Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba).  

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

The Expression: What your Right Hands Possess”

“And those who guard their chastity; Except from their wives or what their right hands possess, for then surely they are not to be blamed.” (Al-Mu'minun, 23: 6-7).

Much misunderstanding prevails as to what the expression “their right hands possess” means, and what are the rights and status of the persons to whom it applies.

A Divine Message for the 'Jamaat'

The Divine Messages of 18-19 June 2018

Today’s sermon was to be on the believers who had maximized completely the benefits and blessings of the month of Ramadan, and I deeply wish and pray that Allah (swt) accept all their efforts on the day that they shall present themselves before Him. Insha-Allah. Alhamdulillah many among our brothers and sisters, after Eid-ul-Fitr have observed the six supererogatory (Nafl) fasting. Alhamdulillah, may Allah (swt) reward them for all the love which they have for Him alone. Ameen. 

I need to tell all my dear disciples in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam throughout the world that what I shall deliver to them today was not initially the subject of the Friday Sermon which I wanted to present before you today. But as it is a message which comes directly from Allah (swt), it is my duty to inform you about it as the Khalifatullah of the age. 

On Monday 18 June after the Esha prayers, and after reading the Holy Quran – I was reading the Chapter 3 Al-Imran – and the Attributes of Allah, Rabbanas and other duahs, I went to bed to sleep around 11.00 pm and I was not feeling well at all. All the members of my household were profoundly asleep and as for me, I was awake and not feeling well at all. I was sweating greatly, shaking and having heart palpitation and anxiety. And in that same condition, I felt a heavy weight on my head and I heard a very fine and beautiful voice talking and I at once understood that revelation was coming. I heard:

Auzubillahi minash Shaytaan-ir-Rajeem, Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim. 

Yaaa ‘ayyuhan-naasu ‘inna wa’ dallaahi haqqun - falaa taghurran-nakumul-hayaatud-dunyaa: wa laa yaghurrannakum billaahil Gharuur. (This verse is found in Surah Fatir, Chapter 35).

Translation: O mankind, indeed the promise of Allah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and do not let the Chief Deceiver deceive you about Allah.

After the revelation of this verse , Allah (swt) then informed me about various matters (Revelation in Creole Language).

O Munir Ahmad Azim, I have bestowed a great favour upon you when I gave you the title of Amir-ul-Mumineen and afterwards I gave you the title of Muhyi-ud-Din (Reviver of Faith of this era) whereby many [people] put their hands in your hand – indeed it was not your hand but the Hand of Allah – to unite them all on the unity of Allah. In other words, all of them took the oath of allegiance (Bai’at) in your hand and believed in you as the Muhyi-ud-Din of this era.

“O Munir Ahmad Azim, look how your Rab (Lord) does His work, without man understanding [i.e., any of it]. They all expect another proclamation, whereas Allah (swt) in His Majesty (Grandeur) has already manifested Himself as from the start itself with the title of Amir-ul-Mu'mineen and afterwards Muhyi-ud-Din and then I gave and revealed you many other titles such as Muslih-ud-din, Muslih Ma’ud till I elevated you as Khalifatullah and after Khalifatullah, as Massih Maud, Mujaddid, Nabiullah, and Rasulullah.

Man is making his plans and Allah also is planning and the plans of Allah are the best. These people are in torment, and they do not know what is falling upon them and [on the other hand] Allah is elevating His [Chosen] Servant and all those who follows him [i.e., his followers] to a high peak [i.e. station/ rank/ honour]. What your Rab has decreed, nobody can ever restrict (prevent) it. Your Lord shall cause the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and the Divine Manifestation to be known throughout the whole world without human intervention (effort), Insha-Allah. Do not despair, for Allah is with those who are steadfast (patient).”

'Lailat-ul-Qadr': Times of a 'Khalifatullah'

In the evocative language of the Qur'an, the descent of Divine revelations take place on 'Laila-tul Qadr': the 'Night of Destiny'. When people grope in the darkness of spiritual despair, the Divine Mercy unfolds itself in the form of a Blessed Soul. Hence, the life and times of a Divinely-raised renewer of Faith among the Muslims can be described as a period of Divine Blessings.  As we have recently noted in another post, the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) specifically linked the coming of a Khalifatullah in every century with the spiritual concept of Laila-tul Qadr. In his book “Victory of Islam”, the Promised Massih (as) clearly stated that the Khalifatullah appears to rouse people to spiritual consciousness and that angels descent with him- through revelations, they enable him to provide a living testimonial to the vitality of Islam in that age. 

As the Divinely-raised "Muhyi-ud-Din" and "Khalifatullah" of this era, Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius is the most qualified spiritual commentator on matters of Divine verities in our times. On the blessed occasion of the 27th of Ramadan (1439 AH) today, we are reproducing an important Friday Sermon of 03 June 2011, wherein Hadhrat Saheb (atba) profoundly explained the relevance of 'Laila-tul-Qadr' to the blessed advent of Divine Elects in every era, also keeping in view the blessed writings of the Promised Massih (as) on the theme.

Read the extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“By the grace of Allah, one of my sincere disciples called my attention on the fact that the Promised Messiah (as) draw the people’s attention to the coming of a Khalifatullah, especially when he speaks about the period of a Khalifatullah as a Laila-tul-Qadr (Night of Decree, of blessings) and that when the Caliph of Allah comes down to earth, he comes down accompanied with the light of Allah which thereafter the sincere people who surrounds the Khalifatullah receive. 

By the grace of Allah, the Promised Messiah (as) has in other others say he has come to earth in the mantle of a Khalifatullah, but that which is much more surprising is that he has already said that not only in his time there shall be one (a Khalifatullah), but this Khalifatullah shall come in confirmation of his (the Promised Messiah’s) truthfulness. It is this Khalifatullah who shall come in conformity with his words and he shall come in confirmation of his truth like the Promised Messiah (as) came in confirmation of the prophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), where the Prophet of Allah (sa) said (while putting his hand on the shoulders of Salman Farsi) that when faith shall go to the Pleiades, then there shall come someone from Persian descent shall bring it back.

'Laila-tul- Qadr': Rise of a 'Mujaddid'/ 'Khalifatullah'

In the Muslim spiritual imagination, the month of Ramadan is deeply embedded as the sacred month of Fasting for the sake of God Almighty. The month also reminds us about the advent of Divine revelations on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) and the sacred birth of the Holy Qur'an! Indeed the Holy Qur'an itself acknowledges that it was in the blessed nights of Ramadan that the very first verses began to be revealed on the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa). The Holy Book says: “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong).” [2:185] “Verily! We have sent it (this Qur'an) down in the night of Al-Qadr (Decree).” [97:1].  "Truly, We revealed it in a blessed Night"(44:3). 

Distinguished lexicographers and Qur'an scholars have noted that wherever the Qur'an speaks of "Lailah", it has a deep connection with the descent of Divine revelations. The saints of Islam had noted the profound connection of "Lailat-ul-Qadr" with the advent of Muhaddith (recipient of Divine revelations), "Khalifatullah" (Caliph of God) and Mujaddid (Divine reformer) in every era of Islam. The Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian also sought to educate and remind the Muslims of his era about the significance of 'Lailat-ul-Qadr' and the deep spiritual verities of Surah Al Qadr, especially with regard to the raising of great spiritual souls in every era of Islam as 'Mujaddid', 'Muhaddith', 'Khalifatullah', etc. 

Reproduced below are the words of Hadhrat Massih Maoud (as) from one of his books, Fateh-e-Islam: 

“Allah gives glad tidings to the faithful in Surah Al Qadr that His prophet and His revelation descended from the heaven during the period of Laila-tul- Qadr (the Night of Decree).

Every Muhaddath and Mujaddid who is commissioned by Allah always appears during the Night of Decree. 

Do you understand what is meant by the Night of Decree? The Night of Decree or the Laila-tul- Qadr is the name of a night when spiritual darkness reaches its ultimate gloom. That gloom, metaphorically, demands a light from heaven for its dissipation. This night is symbolically called the Night of Decree. In fact, it is not a night, but a period, which is referred to as a ‘night’ because of its intense darkness. 

One thousand months is the approximate life span of a human being. It is also a period after which normal human senses ceases to function. The elapse of a period of one thousand months, following the demise of a Prophet or his spiritual successor also signals the commencement of a ‘night’ of darkness. This ‘night’ triggers fervour in the heavens and the seeds of the birth of one or more reformers (Mujaddidin) is stealthily sown. Thus such a Mujaddid or prepare to emerge at the head of the new century. The following verse is also an indication by Allah towards this phenomenon:

           

  “The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months”.  (Surah Al Qadr, 97:4) .

Islamic Ethics on Training Children

Advices to the wo/men of the Jamaat- Part II

Frankly speaking, to set someone on the right path, is never an easy task. But it is truly an act of highest virtue. It is therefore binding on all of our Jamaat worldwide to not only associate our members with all types of welfare activities but also to enable them to shoulder such social burdens as would tend to make them responsible citizens. It is because the charge of responsibility invariably alters the perception of an individual. It deepens their knowledge and expertise and their thinking power. It enables them to become independent individuals who can bring in ideas for the good maintenance and reform of our Jamaat in the years to come. It helps them develop their personality and maintain a close relationship with their Deen (religion - i.e. Islam).

The office bearers in our different organizations, whatever names or duties we may assign to them, should be trained earlier on to take over their responsibilities later on. The Jamaat should have trustworthy and pious members at the top, such people who shall be able to maintain the equilibrium of the whole Islamic system with the help of Allah, and for that Taqwa is absolutely important. Without Taqwa, man is like a lifeless plant. He shall go wayward without piety, righteousness and absolute fear and respect for Allah, The All-Seeing, All-Hearing.

Thus, by giving our youths responsibilities earlier on in life shall help them to perfect their level of belongingness to the cause of Allah; they shall better understand our cause and shall strive to please Allah in whatever they do. Remember, Satan is the bitterest enemy of man. He and his army shall try to deviate you at different points in life but you need to bypass his whisperings and invitations and focus your attention and love on Allah and His Truth. Always follow the right path, even though it is a million times difficult, but I assure you that at the end of that thorny path is found the most delectable of rewards. Remember your sacrifices is a short-term while the rewards promised by Allah is eternal. Now, it is for you to choose which path you would tread: the path of ruin or the path of salvation.