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:

The Attributes of Allah- IV

By the grace of Allah I continue after a month (4 weeks) the 4th part of my Friday Sermon on the attributes of Allah. As I told you, Allah has no need to lie. He Himself is Malik, Rahman and Rahim. He is also Al-Haqq. He made the truth clear when people use tricks and all kinds of illusions to deceive people. We have this clearly in the example of Hazrat Musa (as).

So when we read the Holy Quran, it also mentions the example of Hazrat Dawud (as). Allah (swt) says that two people climbed the walls and entered the castle of Hazrat Dawud (as) and they said to him: O Dawud, do not be afraid; don’t think we are thieves or burglars; it won’t do you any good to make noises. In fact, we came to present a case [a concern] to you. I have a ewe, but he (my friend present here) has 99. He tells me to give him my eve, so that will make a number of 100 (i.e. 100 ewes). But I told him I only have one and I can’t give it to you. So tell us what to do.

So Hazrat Dawud (as) gave his judgment, but immediately after he turned to Allah (swt) in prostration and thought that Allah was in fact testing him. Allah certainly tested him and warned him against greediness to acquire small kingdoms to add to his own kingdom. Allah (swt) made him understand that he should not put pressure on the kingdoms that were nearby (in the vicinity), to be careful not to commit excesses.

The Attributes of Allah- III

By the grace of Allah I continue my 3^rd part of the Friday Sermon on the attributes of Allah and it is only Allah (swt) Who can give me the grace, the opportunity and the knowledge to elaborate this subject in depth. Without His help and His divine grace it will not be possible for me, weak creature that I am to speak on such an important subject. And this subject is important in the lives of all believers so that they know Allah (swt) through His attributes, and we must make it our duty to read His attributes every day [especially in these difficult times that we are living today]. Insha-Allah.

I continue the subject where someone lies to receive praise, to accomplish his greed, to receive honour, greatness, and grab property that does not belong to him. He does nothing to get it all; he does not work hard to earn it all honestly, but he acts dishonestly, and lies in order to steal the property of his neighbour or brother or the property of his sister. He is greedy; he likes that he alone wins all that and so, in order to reach to this end, he tricks his brothers or sisters, and makes them sign documents to grab their wealth and then he turns his back on them and pushes them away in order to enjoy alone these riches.

If we look at the example that the Qur’an gives us, we will find that there are people who lie and use flattery to gain praise because of greed and you see these situations also in religion. 

Pact of God and the Fate of Nations

God's Covenant with the children of Israel

In many places in the Qur’an and in the Torah made is mention of the wickedness and lack of faith of the Jews to emphasize how they have dishonoured their covenant.

It is mentioned in the Old Testament, in the chapter of Isaiah: “The earth is infected by the corruption of those who dwell in it, because they have violated the laws, they have changed the ordinances and they broke the covenant that was to last forever.” (Isaiah 24: 5).

It is said in the Holy Quran: “Those who were unfaithful among the children of Israel were cursed by the mouth of David and Jesus son of Mary, because they were rebellious, transgressors.” (Al-Maida 5: 79).

After Moses (as), there were many prophets among the Israelites. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “Every time a prophet died another prophet became his successor.” (Bukhari).

When the Israelites exceeded all limits in their transgressions, God wrested from them the temporal kingship after David, and the apostolate after Jesus. The time had come to remove and transfer prophethood from the Jewish people, for although of Abraham’s descent, they had become wicked.

Jesus told his disciples that another people would benefit from the prophethood: “Therefore I say to you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a people that will bring forth the fruits. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” (Matthew 21: 43-44).

The Holy Qur’an also alludes to this in the following verse: “It will be the sign of the approaching hour. Do not doubt it; follow me because it is the right path.” (Az-Zukhruf, 43: 62)

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.

How to Progress in Matters of Faith

The Road to Progress

It is my duty to advise to those who have taken the oath of allegiance and enter in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, be it here in Kerala and elsewhere in the world, and I will say the same thing as Hazrat Massih Ma’ud Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) has said before me because I am the true servant and messenger of Allah and an obedient follower of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and the Promised Messiah (as). In this era, Allah (swt) has raised this humble self as the Khalifatullah, to continue the work of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and that of the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as).

So, my dear disciples, here (in Kerala) and around the world who have taken the oath of allegiance and enter in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, let me remind you that the initiation itself is like sowing the seed of goodness. If a gardener does not take care of his newly planted trees and seedlings, neither watering them nor protecting them, his plants would go to waste. Similarly, Satan is always there with human beings so that if a person does not take care to protect the good deeds he has performed, they will go to waste. 

All people including the Muslims, perform the duties of their religion but they do not make any progress. The reason for this is that they do not think of developing further their sphere of good acts and hence their deeds enter the fold of custom and tradition.

Divine Favours on Abraham's Family

“The religion of your father Abraham; He (Allah) named you Muslims.”---(Al-Hajj 22: 79).

Favours: Temporal and Spiritual

O Muslims! Remember that we are the promised children of Abraham (as). There are great promises of God concerning us. God has made us the best of all (Khairi Uman). He gave us until the end of days the development of temporal favours in the form of royalty and also the development of spiritual favours in the form of prophethood, for we are the seed of Abraham (Ibrahim).

God had kept His promise to Abraham’s posterity from the branch of Israel (Jacob / Yaqub) as long as they did not become evil, and thus the system of royalty and that of prophethood were reserved for him. 

Divine Favours change Trajectory

But when they became wicked, God changed the trajectory of His Light and (while still holding firm to His promise to Abraham) gave that favour to the posterity of Ismail where we had the Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen (blessing for the entire universe) to bless all nations and whose coming was promised as a manifestation of God. This awaited perfect messenger was indeed the seal of the prophets, the founder of Islam, our beloved prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who came with a perfect divine book, i.e. the Holy Quran.

Surah Al Fatiha on Divine Guidance

“Ihdinas Siratal Mustaqim” means: Guide us to the straight path, the path of Islam (total submission to the will of Allah), the path of Iman (faith), the path of Ihsan (where we worship Allah as if we see Him and if we cannot accede to that level then at least we realize that He sees us), the path of Taqwa (piety) as we strive to accomplish and be present in all that which Allah has commanded us to do and absent in what Allah has forbidden us to do with our mind, eyes, ears, mouth, feet, hands and every part of our body.

Allah teaches us to ask Him such a path so that we may be among those who are successful in this world and the next. And if, by the grace of God, someone comes occasionally from Him to show us the right path and guide us, and he happens to possess by God’s grace knowledge of the unknown, how do we call him, if not by the title of prophet of God?

Calling him a Muhaddath would be contrary to the dictionary meaning given to the word tahdith, word that forms the root of the word Muhaddath. Tahdith does not mean revelation of the unknown. On the contrary the word Nabuwwat has such meaning. The word Nabi is common to Arabic and Hebrew, and it is derived from the word Naba which means being endowed with divine revelation and the power of prophecy. To become an apostle of God it is not always necessary to be His Messenger or bearer of a new law coming from Him: One just needs to know the secrets of the unknown. 

Significance of Surah Al Fatiha

'... I have chosen to talk/explain today on a never-ending subject. I can say that if the ocean was ink and all trees in this world and the universe were pens and the sky and earth were papers, therefore all these would have come to an end but not the commentary of the Surah Al-Fatiha. This is because of the high importance of this chapter in the life of a believer, and this chapter is the first chapter of the Holy Quran. It is so important that one has to start with the Surah Al-Fatiha when he begins his prayer (Namaz/Salat). And to start supplications (duahs) to Allah, the Surah Al-Fatiha needs to be recited first. This is because of the nature of its greatness as a chapter and duah. In whatever situation a person may be, be it a difficulty, an illness or a state of suffering or any other problems he finds himself in, therefore he needs to recite the Surah Al-Fatiha.

By the grace of Allah, today 22^nd August 2014, I have thought about explaining a bit again on this very important chapter – the Surah Al-Fatiha. I know that there is no end to the commentary of this Surah. Centuries after centuries after my advent, there shall come many more divinely-sent reformers (Mujaddid), caliphs of Allah (Khalifatullah) and other Men of God who shall keep on explaining on this chapter, Surah, which is the Surah Al-Fatiha.

The word “Fatiha” comes from the verb “Fataha”, which means in this context “to open”. “Al” is a defined article and Fatiha (feminine here because it refers to the word Surah which is feminine in Arabic) means the opening Surah, which starts the Quran because it is that Surah which comes first in the Quran, that is, when you open the Quran, it is that very important key which is required to open the Quran. It is also important as a key to open your heart to your Creator, to show the great extent of love which you have for Him and which enables you to recognise your Lord (Allah) as the Master of the Day of Judgement. And it is Him whom we worship and to Him alone we beseech forgiveness… In addition it is with the Surah Al-Fatiha itself that we are able to open our Salat/Namaz (prayer). It is the first Surah that we recite in the Salat.