‘Sabequn’: Excel in Virtues

  

 

True faith in Islam is a journey in progressive action.  ‘Imaan’ entails a believing person’s verbal commitment to abide by Divine commands to match with his or her actions in life. Otherwise, mere expression of faith amounts to nothing in the spiritual realm. For a Muslim, expression of faith with sincerity of purpose leads to corresponding actions driven by the obligations of faith. Put differently, verbal expression of belief in the values of Islam is socially completed only when good deeds emanate from the believer. That is why the Holy Qur’an repeatedly urges true believers to race with one another in doing good deeds and to progress in piety by practicing all virtues of life.  

 

Believers have the duty to constantly strive: to bring about reform and refinement in personal, family and social conduct; refrain from evils and sinful inclinations; respect the rights of God and the rights of His servants, etc. Reproduced below is a holy discourse given in March 1908 at Qadian by the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian [1835-1908] urging his disciples and followers in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya to bring about a pious change in their personal, family and social life by being truly mindful of God and His commandments:

 

Read the Spiritual Discourse Below

Living under the Gaze of God

The Promised Messiah Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian (1835-1908) always spoke of God as an experiential reality. For him, the quest for the Divine was not a philosophical inquiry or an intellectual fascination, but a comprehensive belief system experienced with perfect certainty. Notwithstanding the disappointments he encountered in his mission- the contrast between the Divine reality as he felt it, and the difficulty he encountered in getting people to recognize the same- the Promised Messiah (as) went on advising people on how best to lead their everyday spiritual life: calling to the sublime reality of God; exhorting them to develop God-consciousness in all that they do; and emphasizing the need for being just, respecting the sentiments and rights of others. 

In a discourse on 16 May 1898, the Promised Messiah (as) underscored the role of individual believer within the spiritual community- of the need for becoming righteous and also of joining with the beloved/saintly people of God- in shaping our destinies in these troubling times. After all, the purpose of our actions is to invite Divine approval and satisfaction, as against going in the direction of causing Divine anger and punishment. Since the essence of faith is the love and worship of the Divine- who is the Lord of the Universe and all its creatures-, believers need to conform to the Divine commandments in all their settings, including mutual relations with our fellow humans. When people rid themselves of jealousy, mockery, arrogance, hubris and other ills of evil within human nature; when people cultivate within themselves the feelings of empathy, understanding, compassion and goodwill; they form a community of righteous people attaining true solidarity and collective progress under the gaze of God, observes the Promised Messiah (as). 

Read the Extracts from the spiritual Discourse Below: 

These are truly fragile times. Everyone ought to fear the wrath of Allah Almighty, for He has no care except for those who are His pious servants. Foster brotherhood and love amongst yourselves; forsake barbarity and mutual dissension.Withdraw completely from all forms of jest and mockery, for mockery moves the heart far away from the truth. Treat one another with respect. Each and every one of you ought to give preference to the comfort of your brother over themselves.

Reconcile sincerely with Allah the Exalted and become subservient to Him once again. The wrath of Allah Almighty is descending upon the earth and only those will be saved who fully repent of all their sins and return to God.

Remember that if you bring yourself to obey the commandments of Allah Almighty and endeavour to support His chosen religion, God will remove all the obstacles in your way and you will be successful.

'Istighfar': On Divine Forgiveness

‘I do not absolve myself of weakness, for the inner self is surely prone to enjoin evil, except on whom my Lord has mercy. My Lord is of course Protector (against sins), Ever Merciful’.---(Surah Yusuf, 12:54).

This sublime expression of humility in the declaration of Prophet Yusuf (as) points to a larger truth about moral failings in the human condition: only Divine Grace can help us traverse the flood of base passions. As humans, each one of us has an innate proclivity or inborn weakness to be swayed at times by the attractions and colours of this world. Our bodily urges can and will, at times, eclipse our moral responsibility and injure our spiritual self. Satan can induce us to stumble in moments of frenzy and we might forget or even willfully ignore that God watches over us in all that we do, openly and secretly. Whether we remain within the laws of the permissible- respecting the boundaries of the Shari'ah- or commit transgressions and become liable for sins; the reality is that God knows about it all. Indeed the Lord of the Universe knows about the deep desires and other inner passions that fuel all our actions- good and bad- and especially, our many failings. The Qur’an emphatically declares: “Were it not for God’s Grace upon you and His Mercy, not one of you would ever be pure.” (Surah Al-Nur, 24: 22)

'Strive to Excel in the Path of God'

Prepare for the 'Journey'

“At this time, the purpose of my address is that since there can be no guarantee of one’s life, I feel that the number of people who are gathered around me now may perhaps not be with us in the following year. Moreover, during these days, I saw in a vision that in the coming year certain friends would no longer be with us, but I cannot say who of them was referred to in this vision. I am certain that this is because everyone individually ought to prepare himself for their journey to the afterlife. As I have just mentioned, no names were disclosed to me, but I know for certain by knowledge given to me from Allah the Exalted that divine destiny and decree has its time. All must leave this transient world at some point or other.

And so, it is absolutely imperative to state that every individual and friend who is present now must not hear my words as though they were a storyteller’s tale. Rather, I counsel you from Allah and have been commissioned by Him. I address you with immense sympathy, true goodwill and with a burning heart. Hence, I call on my friends to heed my counsel. I reiterate that you ought to listen attentively and take my words to heart.

Belief in God

Allah is the most Supreme Being and He is the Light, for He has established His existence and Oneness in the Holy Quran with powerful and simple arguments. Those people who express doubts and harbour suspicion regarding His existence, despite witnessing the powers and miraculous wonders of this Magnificent Being, are truly the most unfortunate. In proof of His Magnificent and Powerful Being, Allah the Exalted has stated:

‘Are you in doubt concerning Allah, Maker of the heavens and the earth?’ (Surah Ibrahim; Ch. 14, v. 11)

meaning, can there be doubt in the existence of Allah the Exalted, who is the Creator of the heaven and earth? Now reflect, is it not perfectly clear and obvious that a created thing leads one to accept the existence of a creator? When a person sees a well-crafted shoe or chest, they are left with no choice but to immediately accept the existence of its craftsman. In the same way it is inexplicably astonishing that there should be any room for denial in the existence of Allah Almighty. How can one reject the existence of a Maker who has created thousands of wonders with which the heaven and earth are replete?

Hence, know for certain that a foolish person who doubts the Being and existence of God, even after observing these works and wonders of nature, which are beyond the power, mind or intellect of man to create, is an unfortunate person caught in the grip of Satan. Such a one ought to seek forgiveness from God. To reject the existence of God has no basis in argument or observation. In fact, to reject the existence of Allah, the Glorious, despite witnessing His powers, and the wonders of His creatures and creation at large, which fill the heaven and earth, is the height of blindness.

There are two forms of blindness: the blindness of one’s eyes and the blindness of one’s heart. A person’s physical blindness does not affect his faith. But a blinded heart does affect a person’s faith. Hence, it is necessary and absolutely imperative that every single individual constantly beseeches Allah Almighty with humility and submission so that He may grant him true divine understanding, insight and vision, and so that He may protect him/her from the evil whisperings of Satan.