The 'Ocean' of Divine Favours

The Value of the Sea/Ocean in this World

The sea/ ocean is a creation of Allah (swt) that contributes to the well-being of humanity. It is full of signs of Allah for one who has the ability and intelligence to reflect on its wonders.

The ocean is an extraordinary means of transport, a means of subsistence also thanks to its fish, its salt, its purity, and its tides. It is a universe in itself, and it is a world of opportunities also through the exploitation of pearls, algae, minerals and so on. The sea is also a great sign of Allah and we must reflect on this extraordinary sign that Allah has granted us. The sea is huge and it has very important roles to play. One must appreciate its role of regulator with respect to the atmosphere, the formation of clouds and the terrestrial climate.

The Sea as a Means of Transport

Allah (swt) says in the Qur'an - It is a long verse of which I will mention only the part where Allah speaks about the sea: “Indeed, in…the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people… are signs for a people who use reason.” (Al-Baqara, 2: 165).

“And of His signs are the ships in the sea, like mountains.” (Ash-Shuraa, 42: 33).

Previously we relied on the sea for transportation, to travel from one country or place to another. There was no plane and so at the time of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), he (pbuh) predicted that just after him, there would be the development of stable ships at sea.

It is reported by Bukhari that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said, “Some of my followers were displayed before me as warriors fighting for Allah's Cause and sailing over this sea like kings on thrones.” (Bukhari).

Today’s ships can carry hundreds of tons of goods without hindering navigation. The Quran has described them even before their appearance in history.

“And to Him belong the ships elevated in the sea like mountains.” (Ar-Rahman, 55: 25).

A Warning to the Nizam-e-Jamaat

Located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Southeast Africa,  the Mayotte archipelago is geographically part of the Comoros Islands, while officially it is an overseas territory of France. It consists of a main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore), a smaller island, Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), and several islets around these two, situated between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. While the region came under the French settlements in 1840s, the people of Mayotte voted to remain politically a part of France in 1974. Following a 2009 referendum with an overwhelming result in favour of the department status under France, Mayotte became an outermost region of the European Union in 2014. It was the Arabs who brought Islam into the region during the medieval times and a Sultanate was established as early as 1500. According to the 2017 census, the small Island region (with an area of 374 square kilometers---144 sq mi) has a population of a little over 2,50,000- a vast majority of whom are the descendants of the Muslims. Although located far way from the mainlands of Africa and Asia, the remote Indian Ocean islands also had the fortune of receiving the message of Islam as propagated by the Promised Massih of the Later Days, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian. In many ways, the deep penetration of the message of Tawheed as propagated by the Promised Massih (as) to the remotest regions of the world is an awesome testimonial to the astonishing truth of the words of Allah (swt) descended on that holy  Divine servant in the previous era: “I shall cause your message to reach the corners of the earth”.

In the late 1990’s, it was the pioneering efforts of Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb of Mauritius that planted the seeds of Ahmadiyyat in several Indian Ocean island communities, including the Mayotte Islands. As the missionary-ambassador of the Promised Massih (as) working in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in collaboration with the then Khalifatul Massih IV, Hazrat Munir Azim Saheb took extraordinary  personal initiative and considerable pain to establish the message of Ahmadiyyat in these parts of the world. If ever the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya develops institutional memory and are truthful to their own records and testimonials; they would not, they should not and indeed they cannot avoid or evade the seminal spiritual work and rich legacy of Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb in the spread of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in the region. 

Of late, the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, in Mayotte and beyond, is behaving like the sectarian thugs the Promised Massih (as) used to oppose all his life. In their vain desires for cheap personal glory, they ‘invent’ the history of the Ahmadi peoples and they erase the collective memory inconvenient for their current temperaments! In their concern for constructing a new identity, they are behaving like a prodigal son in denial of his father!! Instead of gratefully co-opting and quietly celebrating the trailblazing spiritual work of Hazrat Munir Azim Saheb in the Indian Ocean island communities in the 1990s as part of the wider and global history of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and its peoples, the Nizam-e-Jamaat is in denial today. Do they think the politics of denial and social boycott has a chance against the tide of history and the destiny of a Man of God? Allah says in the Qur’an: “We will soon show them Our signs all around the world and in their own selves, until it dawns on them that indeed this is the truth. Is your Lord not Sufficient (to confirm your veracity), for He alone is (also) witness to everything?”. (41:53)

In the final part of his Friday Sermon of 25 May 2018 (09 Ramadan 1439 AH),  Imam Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius spoke on the situation in Mayotte, where natural calamities are unfolding against the backdrop of spiritual calamities. In their quest for cheap victory, sectarian prejudices are being unleashed by the chiefs of the Nizam-e-Jamaat against the Jamaat-Ul Sahih Al Islam in Mayotte so much so that Hadhrat Saheb (atba) has been constrained to issue a Divine warning against the culprits involved in the episode. 

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon: