The Essence of ‘Taqwah’

  

In response to a question on the real meaning of ‘Taqwah’, received from a young Muslim  from abroad, Hazrat Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius offered spiritual guidance, the text of which is reproduced below for the benefit of all seekers of higher wisdom.

 

Ms. Nusrat Alibagh [Germany]: ‘Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarkaatuhu. Hazrat Munir Sahib, l want to have an answer from you: what is the real meaning of ‘Taqwah’?

 

Answer: ‘You know in the Holy Quran Allah (swt) say: ‘Verily, the Believers are those whose hearts feel fear when Allah is mentioned, and when His signs (or revelations) are recited to them they increase their faith, and who put their trust in their Lord.’ (8:3).

‘Taqwah’ Attracts God's Mercy

Islam is an amazingly hope-inducing religion for the human soul. With its invitation to an All Powerful, Most-Forgiving and Ever- Merciful Lord who cares for His servants and believers in this very world (as well as in the Hereafter), Islam provides a fascinating framework of ideas to deal with life’s contingent circumstances, deep disappointments, hopeless situations and other abiding sorrows. The Book of God in particular allows us to let go of despair and be hopeful of Divine mercy through its wonderfully-life affirming teachings: 

‘Do not despair of God’s mercy- only disbelievers despair of God’s mercy’, (12:88). 

‘God does not deny anyone who is mindful of God and steadfast in adversity the rewards of those who do good’ (12: 91) 

‘Is God not enough for His servant ?’ (39: 37)

One of the Divine revelations vouchsafed to the Promised Messiah Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian on the auspicious occasion of the 27th night of Ramadan 1324/ 15 November 1906 reads as follows:  

Qadir hai wo baargah,

tota kaam banaaé,

Bana, bana ya tor dé

Koyi uss ka bhed na jaané

('All Powerful and Almighty is the Lord Allah. An affair that had failed and broken to pieces, He can If He wills crown with success; And He also has the power to smash it up and reduce it to nothing that which stood accomplished and complete. There is none who can read the stupendous import of His profound Mysteries').

Given this extraordinary nature of dynamic Divine Will, the believer's faith allows her to invoke the favour of God, His special Mercy and Grace, through the instrumentality of Duahs. Indeed the Qur’an points to the power of sublime supplications to bring about a million miracles in our everyday secular and spiritual life. Those who are mindful of God and invoke fervent supplications to the Almighty hope to find open the doors of special Divine mercy and grace, transforming the landscape of their material and spiritual fortunes: fatal diseases can move away; family troubles and financial difficulties may be dissolved; mountains of other problems can disappear; even an infertile woman may be blessed with an offspring. Everything is possible, for Allah (swt) is wonderful; a Seeing and Hearing God Who notices what we ask of Him, and watches over our distressed beseeching. 

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.

On Faith and Parental Bonds

THE STATUS OF THE FATHER

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the perfect model for the universe. He came in a time when people were barbarians and had little respect for family relationships. For today, I chose to speak to you about the importance he brought to the status of the father.

Good character, good behaviour and good advice are qualities that please the Creator. According to a Hadith, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said that he who pleases his father, pleases Allah. When the father (who follows the Shariah) is happy, it greatly pleases the Creator. On the other hand, if the father is not happy, it does not please the Almighty. This is the status granted to each father. If such a status has been granted to our father, (then imagine) what is (i.e. how grand is) the status granted to the father of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), Hazrat Abdullah (ra)?

Jalsa Message: 'Cultivate Taqwah'

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala (South) observed the 7th Jalsa Salana (Annual Conference) at the historic Noor'ul Islam Masjid, Mathra on December 22-23, 2017. On the occasion, our beloved Imam, Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius addressed a special message to the members of the Jamaat in this part of the world.

In his speech, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) underscores the significance of 'Taqwa' in our spiritual life. A believer always need to strive for perfect congruence between  public declarations of faith and the actual deeds on everyday life. And yet, as a fallible human being, s/he is prone to be tempted and distracted into sins by "Satan and his army". By being aware of God's laws and regulations and restrictions in the affairs of this world; and through seeking Divine forgiveness after misdeeds are committed and by adopting 'Taqwa' as the true commander of the Heart in all affairs, a believer can make a good beginning in the quest for the True Beloved, confirms Hadhrat Saheb (atba). 

Read the Special Message below: 

Race with one another towards Forgiveness from your Lord and towards a paradise the width of which spans the heavens and the earth. It has been prepared for the God-fearing; Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men; for Allah loves those who do good - and those who, when they happen to commit a shameful act or wrong themselves, remember Allah, then, seek forgiveness for their sins - and who is there to forgive sins except Allah? And who do not willfully persist in the wrong they did. For such the reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath - an eternal dwelling: How excellent a recompense for those who work (and strive)! (Al-Imran, 3: 134-137).

My dear disciples of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam,

Assalamoualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuhu.

It is indeed a pleasure for me to address you few words on the special occasion of the 7^th Jalsa Salana, Kerala - South Zone, being held at our Noor’ul Islam Masjid in Mathra.

Like I have always and consistently advised all my disciples and truth seekers worldwide, it is absolutely necessary for a true believer in Allah to conform his life with ISLAM, i.e. the true way of life, by being a true Muslim and complying to all precepts of Islam. That is why, the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam should always promote the true Islam, and mould our members, my humble disciples, and those who shall one day come after me, to be true examples of Islam for their own selves and their families, but also as role models for the rest of mankind.

Qur'an: A Divine Favour

This is the Book; there is no doubt in it, a guidance for those who fear Allah. Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them. And who believe in that which has been revealed to you and that which was revealed before you and they are sure of what is yet to come. (Al-Baqara, 2: 3-5).

Today by the grace of Allah, I continue the same the sermon that I had started 3 Fridays ago on the subject of the Quran, by reciting the verses 3-5 of the Surah Al-Baqara.

The believers need to know when reading the Quran that there is not the least error, or contradiction in it. On the contrary, each verse of the Quran strengthens the other verse and do not create any doubt. But, there are also some people who instead of having their doubts cleared concerning the Quran, their doubts increase. Thus, these types of people need to know that they are not the category of people mentioned in the beginning of the Chapter (Al-Baqara), i.e. they are not the pious, God-fearing people as stipulated in the verse (Verse 3).

Those people who do not have any doubt that the Quran contains no doubt, and that it is sure guidance for them, those people are certainly the Muttaquun, i.e. those who have the fear of Allah, and who are truly pious. So, when you invoke Allah through supplications (and prayer), you also need to understand the subjects of the Quran or ask Allah for help to enable you to understand it and Insha-Allah, Allah shall give you the knowledge to well understand the contents of the Holy Quran. It is then that the heart shall be cleansed of any kind of doubt. But love for the Quran also demands that you seek this certainty directly from it (i.e. the Quran itself).

And the subjects (knowledge) of Allah are unlimited. A lot of times, for the people who have such (positive) thoughts, Allah (swt) enable them to understand certain points (from the Quran). And if they are Muttaquun, then there shall be no problem for them to understand what Allah (swt) has made put in the Quran. It becomes easy(for them). But if they are not Muttaquun, then the same knowledge that they have received becomes a source of doubt, fitna, and disputes for them.

On True Faith in The 'Ghayb'

The Perfect Book - III

This is the Book; there is no doubt in it, a guidance for those who fear Allah. Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them. And who believe in that which has been revealed to you and that which was revealed before you and they are sure of what is yet to come. ---(Al-Baqara 2: 3-5).

By the grace of Allah, Allah (swt) has given me the Tawfeeq today to continue on the same subject of my sermons from the previous two Fridays. So, I stopped where, when you go to the mosque, then you have to take your beauty with you too, i.e. in this case, your Taqwa (fear of God, piety). The Quran has already described this beauty as Taqwa. It is necessary that each person becomes a Muttaqi (that is, someone who has the fear of Allah, who is pious), otherwise it will be difficult for him/ her to keep the mosque prosperous, and if the God-fearing people preserve the prosperity, freshness and peace of the mosques, then there will be so many blessings in these mosques, beyond your conception/ imagination.

Then Allah (swt) says that it is these people who will have faith (Iman) in “what is yet to come”. Here, “what is yet to come” is two-ways (i.e. has two interpretations) when we study (closely) this verse. As you follow this verse, you will find that Allah says, “And who believe in that which has been revealed to you and that which was revealed before you and they are sure of what is yet to come (i.e. in the future).” - Then, like I have already told you in my previous sermons, it refers to the continuation of divine revelations and messengers after Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), those who will confirm this Quran, The Perfect Book of Allah.

'Taqwa': Path to a Spiritual Life

 The Perfect Book- Part II

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ۝

الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ۝

والَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِالآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ۝

This is the Book; there is no doubt in it, a guidance for those who fear Allah. Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them. And who believe in that which has been revealed to you and that which was revealed before you and they are sure of what is yet to come. (Al-Baqara 2: 3-5).

By the grace of Allah, Allah (swt) has given me the Tawfeeq to continue the second part of the sermon which I started last week there (Last Friday) in which I mentioned the absolute necessity for the Mumineen (believers) to undertake journeys/ voyages of the Holy Quran every day. Quran says that for this voyage, there should be all kinds of provisions.

The provision which has been mentioned is Taqwa, i.e. the fear of Allah. And that's the same provision which is needed to acquire (the in-depth meanings of) the Quran also. Taqwa and Quran do not concern the daily (mundane) voyages (of someone). There are not gained through only one such voyage which you may do only once a year.

You need the Quran everyday and every day with the support of Taqwa as a provision you would be able to obtain something from the Quran. This is indeed very important, fundamental. And for that, it is not necessary to organize programs. Certainly, programs create the interest for it (i.e. the Quran) all year long, but it is the interest of parents which is necessary (which needs to be awakened). Firstly, parents - mother and father should take interest in it for their own beings. At whatever age they (be them the parents themselves, or their children) have reached, they must determine that we start the journey to Allah. And this journey/ voyage is not possible without the Quran. And to enable the journey of the Quran, we should have provisions, just like when people travel, they take stocks/ provisions with them. And here the provision which is fundamental for that voyage is the Taqwa.

Allah (swt) states that this is indeed a perfect book in which there is no doubt. But there is no doubt also that this Book is guidance for the truly pious (God-fearing) only. Those who have Taqwa shall certainly receive guidance from the Quran. So, Taqwa has been linked together with the Quran. 

Qur'an: The Perfect Book of God

Role of the Qur'an in Spiritual Life

This is the Book; there is no doubt in it, a guidance for those who fear Allah. Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them. And who believe in that which has been revealed to you and that which was revealed before you and they are sure of what is yet to come. -(Al-Baqara, 2: 3-5).

For today's sermon, I have specially chosen to speak on the subject of Ibaadat (worship/ acts of worship - of Allah). This is why I have read these few verses of Surah Al-Baqara. By introducing the Quran, the first thing which Allah (swt) has said: “This is the Book; there is no doubt in it.” The point to be noted here is that Allah is referring to The Book, His Book, such a Book which is perfect, wherein there is no trace of error. It contains lots of meanings. It is such a Book which is far away from you but if you fulfill certain conditions, then this very Book can come near to you.

Afterwards the word “Zaalikal” - This is - indicates also the value of the Quran, and contains several prophecies. It also refers to the perfection of the Quran. In fact, all past prophets foretold the advent of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and they said that he shall bring a Great Book. Al-Kitab (literally ʻThe Book’) here means a promised Book awaited by all nations since ages. And today this Book is before us. Another explanation is that this Book, which is far away from you, can become closer to you. And there is no doubt in this. That is, there is no doubt in the fact that this Book can come closer to you. Now, when we read “La Rayb” together with “Zaalikal”, then it defines this Book as a perfect one, wherein no doubt resides in it (in its truthfulness - that it contains only the truth) and that it is a guide for all pious people (those who fear Allah). 

Spiritual Progress in the Spring of Renewal

'March' and the Spring of Renewal

Every March, we remember: the beautiful beginnings of the spring of renewal in the faith of Islam in our times. The Divine Manifestation in Mauritius in the humble person of our beloved Imam Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) has had its modest and sublime beginnings in the month of March, in the year 2000. 

With the advent of a Divinely-raised soul as an exemplar of faith to guide and lead people in the path of true spirituality on the Highway to Lord Almighty, the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam was established after years of patience and trials in the year 2008, in Mauritius at a time when the country was celebrating its national liberation from the bondage of foreign occupation and colonial exploitation, Alhamdulillah, Soumma Alhamdulillah.

 Just as a people celebrate their national freedom, the advent of a Divine Elect is an occasion of celebration for the people of God. After all, a Divine Elect appears to liberate the people from the slavish bondage of moral decadence and mindless practices that keep them away from their Lord. In his Friday Sermon of March 10, 2017 Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) summarizes for us the distilled spiritual wisdom on how to liberate ourselves from the slavish bondage of a mundane existence and to gain spiritual freedom and progress in the personal fortunes of the human soul. Just as in secular life one attaches value to one's material engagements, so should one need to learn and appreciate the profound space of spirituality in our ultimate destiny both in this fleeting world and the lasting Hereafter.

Developing a liking and keen interest for Deen, and following that up with the practice of the Deen in our every day settings and surroundings, is an important condition precedent for making spiritual progress. Further, for cultivating the love and connection with Allah (swt), one needs to attach oneself with a spiritually-evolved and illumined soul, even as one should also aspire and strive to keep away from all wrongful influences and satanic impulses. 

Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) notes that the great spiritual goal of attaining nearness to God cannot be achieved except through striving to be a Muttaqi- someone who is mindful of God and the Divine commandments at all moments and contingencies of life. For a Muttaqi who strives to obtain freedom from the synthetic pleasures of this world by attaching the soul to the commandments of his/her Lord, Allah (swt) has kept hidden behind the veils of future many delights both in this life and the Hereafter. As Hadhrat Saheb (atba) notes: "All that a person seeks in this world through his efforts, he can acquire it in an effective way by being Muttaqi (being a person who has the fear of Allah). For, verily, Allah has promised a very pleasant life to him who practices His Deen. He has given him the assurance that He will solve his problems and give him everything he needs in unexpected ways".  

Read the Friday Sermon below: