Duahs for Divine Shade

 

Duah:

 

Ya Allah,

Have mercy on our weak souls

We claim to love you so much,

But we disobey You so often.

 

Ya Rahman,

Do not punish us for our actions;

We are weak and forgetful.

Ameen Summah Ameen

Ya Rabbul Aalameen

 

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Duah for the Purification of the Soul

 

Allahumma Ati Nafsi Taqwaha Wa-Zakkiha

Anta Khayru Man Zakkana Anta Waliyuha Wa-Mawlaha.

 

'O Allah,

Give my soul (Nafs)

It's God - fearing righteousness (Taqwah)

And purify it.

For You are the Best to purify it.

You are its Protector And its Guardian.'

(Sahih Muslim 2722).

A Life of Humility

 

Consider the Qur’anic guidance on virtuous social conduct, righteous living:

 

‘Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames for one another….’

 

‘Believers, avoid making too many assumptions– some assumptions are sinful– and do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs…’

 

‘People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In God’s eyes, the most honoured of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware’. (Holy Qur’an, 49: 12-14)

Tarbiyyat Lessons- 22

                         

       Every morning

Allah says:

One more time,

Live life, be kind;

Make a difference;

Touch one heart,

Encourage one mind,

Inspire one soul,

And bless everyone.

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Always Choose

To heal, not to hurt;

To forgive, not to despise;

To persevere, not to quit;

To smile, not to frown;

And to love, not to hate.

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Tarbiyyat Lessons- 15

 

If you're reading this, then, say:

 

‘Allahumma Inni As-alukal Afiyah!’

 

This is Afiyah. You have now made Duah to save yourself from affliction, to be healthy, to have enough money, to live, to have your children protected and to be granted forgiveness with no punishment.

 

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About ‘Surah Al Ikhlas’,

the Holy Prophet (sa) states:

‘By the one in whose hand is my soul,

 it is equal to a third of the Qur’an.’ (Bukhari 4726).

 

Read this Surah to gain benefits.

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‘Laila-tul-Qadr’: An Interview

 

“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)

'Truly, We revealed this on a Night full of blessings...’ (44:4)

We revealed it on the ‘Laila-tul-Qadr’ [the Night of Destiny, the Blessed Night & filled with virtues] (97:2)

Water: A Divine Sign

‘Did We not make the earth a home for the living and the dead? Did We not place firm, lofty mountains on it and provide you with sweet water?’ (77: 26-28)

 

‘Do they not see the sky above them––how We have built and adorned it, with no rifts in it; how We spread out the earth and put solid mountains on it, and caused every kind of joyous plant to grow in it, as a lesson and reminder for every servant who turns to God; and how We send blessed water down from the sky and grow with it gardens, the harvest grain, and tall palm trees laden with clusters of dates, as a provision for everyone; how with water We give [new] life to a land that is dead? This is how the dead will emerge [from their graves].’ (50: 7-12)

 

‘It is He who sends the winds as heralds of good news before His Mercy. We send down pure water from the sky, so that We can revive a dead land with it, and We give it as a drink to many animals and people We have created.’ [25: 49-50]

 

Say, ‘Just think: if all your water were to sink deep into the earth who could give you flowing water in its place?’ (67: 31)

'Sham': The Holy Land

Alhamdulillah Summa Alhamdulillah, today is the third day of Eid [in the context of the Eid’-ul Adha] and an Eid’-ul Jummah. The sacrifice of Abraham and his son will remain forever engraved in the history of mankind, because let us all remember that Abraham (as) as mentioned in the Qu’ran was the father of two nations: The Ishmaelites [that is, the biological as well as spiritual children of Isma’il (as), i.e., the Muslims] and the children of Issac, and consequently those of Israel [i.e., Jacob (as) who are better known as Jews as well as Christians]. 

In these dark times of history, we see the descendants and followers of the two prophets: Ishmael and Issac, fighting among them to dispute a land which since the dawn of time has been a holy land. Although this land came under the responsibility of Muslims, but other countries have widened the chasm of hatred and strife to make this sacred land a land of war and dread.

The Blessings of 'Shabaan'

 

Preparation for the Month of Ramadan

Ḥâ-Mĩm. By the clear Book! We have indeed sent it down on a blessed night [Laylatul Mubarak]. Indeed, We have always been warning. On that night every matter of wisdom is ordained by a command from Us; for indeed, We have always been sending Messengers as a mercy from your Lord, - Surely, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (Ad-Dukhan 44: 2-7)

Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) recited this duah during the month of Rajab: “Allahumma bariklana fi Rajab wa Shabaan, wa ballighna Ramadan.” [O Allah! Make the months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan.]

 

If we analyze this verse, there are about five names [and even more] for this night: Laylatul-Mubarak, Laylatul-Rahma, Laylatul Bara’a, Laylatus Sahk ​​and the Laylatul Qadr; but many commentators on this Quranic verse (44: 4) specify that it only applies to the night of mid-Shabaan. But this is not the case. Although the night of mid-Shabaan is filled with blessings but the fact of specifying through the Quran, by specifying this verse of Surah Ad-Dukhan that it applies for the night of mid-Shabaan is not absolutely correct.

'Duah': Invocations to Allah- XVII

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, by the grace of Allah I continue my sermon today on the “revealed duahs”. May Allah make our life better by giving us His proximity. May He show us the way to Him and the way to approach Him. Ameen, Summa Ameen.

Here are the duahs revealed from 01-04 April 2004 during the Safar Zikrullah:

O Allah! Make me love the faith and magnify it in my heart; Make me hate impiety, debauchery and disobedience. Make me one of Your enlightened servants. 

O Allah! Spare me Your punishment on the day You resurrect Your servants. 

O Allah! May my body, my life and my heart be offered in sacrifice only to You. As far as I know, there is no Beloved [but You]! May every part of my being be sacrificed to You. 

O my Master! Grant me all the excellent blessings of this time. 

O Allah! Deign to hear [Litt. Deign enquire about] this voice calling You. If You don’t become like a Friend to me, my head will be pulverized into dust. With the hand of Your grace, help me so that I can lead people to know You.

Du'ah: Invocations to Allah- III

Alhamdulillah Summa Alhamdulillah, Allah (swt) gives me the Tawfiq to continue my sermons on the subject of duahs.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful

O Allah, You Who are the Remedy of my wounds, help my ailing heart.

O my Allah, without You my life means absolutely nothing. With such a life, it is better to die than to remain in this world without You.

O Allah, give me the will and the courage so that You will be pleased with me for the great work and responsibility that You have placed on my shoulders. If You are happy with me and the work that I am doing, even though people say that I am a madman, an impostor, and ridicule me, blame me and abase my honour and my dignity, all this does not affect me because it is You Who give honour, dignity to whomever You want. My life, my honour, my food, everything comes from You, and not from these fools.

O Allah! Set on fire, put the flame that comes from the heavens in my heart to allow me to bring back “thousands of lost souls in the fold of Sahih al Islam”, Insha-Allah.

O Allah, all my parts are sacrificed for You. I don’t know anything about Your religion; I am an Ummi (illiterate person). So as not to say that I am very weak in matters of Your Deen (Your religion), I am rather a zero. Give me knowledge, put the light of knowledge in my mind and my heart and give me the strength, courage, energy to distribute this knowledge to humanity in general and especially with the brothers and sisters of the Islamic faith.

O Allah! Work a miracle and send people to the Quran, Your book in which there is no doubt and which is a guide for those who want to take the right path. Remove this veil from their eyes and make them understand Your Sacred Book which You have revealed to Your beloved prophet (pbuh).

O Allah! The garden (of Islam) is dried up; all the fruits harvested in the past century by the Messiah whom You sent have fallen in this century. You raised me to clean this garden and to give life again to this dry garden by Your grace so that new fruits are harvested and where everything becomes green again and not dry, and where each eye will be attracted to the beauties that are found therein [i.e., in the garden of Islam].

O Allah! Give me medicine to distribute to all countries so that they can be delivered from evil.

Ramadan: Training for True Life

The Departure of Ramadan 

The rules governing fasting are clearly defined. They must be applied with diligence and respect within the prescribed framework. Any trend beyond the prescribed limits must be discouraged and abandoned.

In fact, the real purpose of the fast, its meaning, and the spirit that animates it must dominate the heart during this sacred month. In few days, our special guest will bid us farewell. For believers, these are very sad moments because our special guest will leave us with great sorrow and sadness. Those who have benefited from this entire blessed month are very fortunate, as no one knows if next year how many of us will welcome this blessed month again.

In this month of Ramadan most of the believers have benefited enormously from these blessings by putting into practice all the Ibadat (acts of worship) prescribed by our Creator. So the month of Ramadan is a period of intense training for the next eleven months (Insha-Allah). Our hearing, sight, tongue, mind, all are subject to rigorous testing. Those who did not pray five times a day do so now. Those who did not wake up in the latter part of the night to offer prayers [Tahajjud & even Fajr], learn to do so. This discipline, practiced for a whole month, serves as a model for the next eleven months.

The Divine Mission @ 20

All Praise Belongs to the Almighty Alone. That is the defining thought for us as  the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius in the person of our beloved Imam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) marks the completion of the first two-decades of its spiritual mission this week. Even as the world marked the end of the second millennium after Jesus (as), and commenced a new century in the trajectory of time in the year 2000-01, spiritually-illumined dreams, sublime mystical visions and Divine revelations were bestowed upon this most humble man who already made it his life’s vocation to devote all his time and energy in sharing the Word of God to the people near and far.  As the Divine Manifestation enters its twenty-first year; this week also marks for the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International, the 12th anniversary of its distinct identity as a spiritual commune, Alhamdulillah, Soumma Alhamdulillah.

The Divine Manifestation of Mauritius is in perfect accordance with the finest traditions of Islamic spirituality. Indeed, it is a living, thriving example of the vitality of Islam as a religion and way of life. The deeply-rooted belief in the Islamic world- and the experience of the distinct Muslim communities around the world- regarding the appearance of Divinely-imbued souls among the believers finds one of its clearest manifestations in the spiritual circle of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam today. 

An Inspired, Divine Mission

Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) is a born-soldier of Islam, having had with him from a relatively very young age of his blessed life, an abiding interest in religious matters and an intuitive understanding of effective preaching and an exceptional drive to spread further and further the true message of Islam for all of humanity. Years before the Divine call, as a devout Daai-e-Ilallah, Hadhrat Munir was the ambassador of the Promised Massih (as) to several communities and peoples of the Indian Ocean Island-states, including Reunion Island (1990), Mayotte (1997) and Seychelles (2000), helping to establish the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in these distant lands. During those years, through his fervent prayers and the Divine Grace over his ardent preaching efforts,  hundreds of people in these nations got the opportunity to recognize the sublime path of true Islam. Indeed, in the annals of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, the extraordinary services rendered by this humble servant of Islam to the mission of the Promised Massih (as) had been recorded by the then (Fourth) caliph Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahib himself. Even more importantly, Allah (twa) showed His deep appreciation and profound satisfaction for the sincere and earnest efforts, when Allah (swt) took him under His wing of Mercy at the age of 40 when he became a frequent recipient of divine revelations and spiritually-infused messages from the Unseen. 

By the Grace of Allah (swt), for the last two decades now, Hadhrat Munir (atba) has been blessed with an abundance of Divine communications and spiritual messages, to a level and scale unheard of in the records of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya since the times of the Promised Massih (as) in the previous century.  Like the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian (1835-1908 CE) in the previous era, Hazrat Munir (atba)  claims Divine revelations and messages as the authority behind his spiritual titles and religious claims in this era. Allah (swt)  bestowed upon him several spiritual titles in this era- Hazrat, Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, Muhyi-ud-Din Khalifatullah; Mujaddid, Messiah, etc. He is charged with a Divinely-inspired mission of reclaiming and revitalizing the enduring message of Tawheed in this new century of the Islamic Era. 

The Blessings of Jalsa Salana

The subject which I have chosen to address you for my opening speech of this (Mauritius) Jalsa Salana for the year 2019 is: The benefits and blessings you derive when you attend the Jalsa Salana. When you come and participate in the Jalsa Salana which was first instituted by the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), it is a means to remind you that you need to reduce your love for this world and increase your love for Islam, and whereby this will create an extraordinary love for Allah in the hearts of all people who are present, and it is also a reminder that this love needs to be increased day by day till it becomes like a fire which burns in your heart and in your whole body.

When you participate in the Jalsa Salana [marking your presence in the gathering and listening to the speeches etc.], you develop a taste [feel] and an extraordinary love develops in you for the Holy Prophet (pbuh) as well as for Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as). And when you mark your presence in the Jalsa Salana in a continual way, you shall be cut from all mundane influences and shall become wholly for Allah. When you become for Allah (swt) only, when you prepare yourselves for your life after death, this in fact also represents a [good] preparation for you to leave behind all the pleasures of this world. When you participate in the Jalsa Salana and you listen to the speeches, then your body [i.e. the congregation as one body] and your soul shall be rid from all weakness and fatigue. Your physical body and your soul will remain in a wakeful state and you will receive such an extraordinary determination which transforms you into stable and very talented people.

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)

Special Advice for Devout Muslims

On Divine Favours during the India Tour

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I am now back in Mauritius by the grace of Allah after a month spent in India – in Tamil Nadu and Kerala – filled with the divine blessings, favours, signs and revelations. I would like to thank all my dear disciples who have taken great care of my family and I during our visit in India. May Allah keep showering His blessings upon you and make manifest His great signs and revelations upon you, again and again. Ameen.

We should always remember the favours of Allah upon us. Allah says in the Holy Quran: “If you try to count Allah’s favours, you would never be able to enumerate them.” (An-Nahl 16: 19).

We can never count the favours of Allah upon us. The Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and indeed this present Divine Manifestation since its beginning in the form of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya Al Mouslemeen all received countless favours of Allah. Some seized that blessed favour and made it the essence of their lives while others rejected it.

And now, Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, during my visit in India my disciples of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have, witnessed great divine signs in the form of revelations upon this humble self and also on their own selves. They have in the aftermath of my fervent duahs on their behalf received and witnessed the descent of divine revelations, even in foreign language. Allahu Akbar.

This indeed is the true favour of Allah: REVELATIONS FROM ALLAH, whereby Allah talks and/ or conveys His messages and words of comfort to His servants. By the grace of Allah, those who remain ever firm in the Divine Manifestation of this era shall get this special blessing as a sign of my truthfulness, and Alhamdulillah, Allah listened to my prayer, and blessed some of my disciples with His revelations and blessed dreams in my presence among them and even after I left them and returned back to Mauritius. May Allah continue to guide and inspire all my disciples, be it in India and elsewhere in the world and make them true servants of Allah in every aspect of the word. Ameen.

The Many Blessings of 'Lailat-ul-Qadr'

From among the many signs of God Almighty – referred to by the Muslim as: « Allah » which literally means such a Being Who has no associate, no partner – there is His exquisite love for mankind. That is why He sends prophets and reformers from time to time to consolidate His commandments, to reform the lives of people and to direct them to Him in all humility and with such a fear filled with intense respect and love for Him (i.e. Taqwa).

For all people/nations, God decreed fasting as a means of purification for them. With the advent of Islam, Muslims also received the commandment to fast. Fasting is beneficial to the body and the spiritual soul involved in each and every human being. When witnessing the month of Ramadan and complying with the commandment of God Almighty (Allah) to fast, the Muslims are in fact, if I may say so, signing a contract with Allah to let go of their past lives, which may have been filled with mistakes and sins, and to reform their lives in such a way that they get the intense joy of being Muslims in every facet of the word and meaning. The month of Ramadan gives them a second chance for a new beginning. In the life of a long-lived Muslim, he therefore gets many such “second chances” to shed away his past errors and to return to Allah repentant and as a new individual with the good intent to serve Allah in the best way possible.

Ramadan is an opportunity for him to reform himself, and to control his temporal desires, so when such a good-natured Muslim is really willing to reform himself with a true and repentant heart, Allah gives him the reward of such a Night which is known as “Laila-tul-Qadr”.

'Eid-ul-Adha' Sermon 2017

Eid-ul-Adha commemorates the great sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and Hazrat Ismail (as). It is indeed Hazrat Ibrahim (as) who accomplished all rights of fidelity. He could not have become an intimate creature and servant of Allah, were it not for the sincerity, cleanliness and purity he displayed, and it would have been difficult for him to arrive at such stage (in the eyes of Allah/ in the realm of spirituality).

To fulfil all rights of fidelity, Hazrat Ibrahim (as) had to make such efforts to purify his heart and remove all 'Ghairullah' (all that is not Allah) and filled it with the love of Allah and act according to the will of Allah. Hazrat Ibrahim (as) had persevered in this path and showed himself ever firm, to such an extent that he once dreamt that he was sacrificing his son. So, concerning his dream, he could have given it several interpretations, but his faith in Allah was so firm that he decided to go through with the literal sacrifice of his young son, with his own hand.

Ponder over this. Imagine the state of a person if his son suddenly dies due to some illness. That person can reach such stage where he starts to have all kinds of doubts on Allah, and thus he opens his mouth to utter countless complaints and objections against Allah.

So, Hazrat Ibrahim (as) crushed the love he had for his son and above all preferred to show his love for Allah (swt). This kind of person, Allah does not let him lose anything and he becomes the friend of Allah.

When you read the Holy Quran, you see how much love he had for Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) in return gave him lots of revelations and granted him, in his progeny, prophets. Both his sons Ismail (as) and Ishaq (as) were prophets and through them (i.e. their bloodline), many more prophets came.  In the example  of Hazrat Ibrahim (as), there is a lesson for all humanity; a lesson of sincerity and faithfulness. That is why Ibrahim (as) has been qualified as the one who showed faithfulness (fidelity) and sincerity.

The Many Benefits of Ramadan

Ramadan has come once again! 

The one who has the opportunity to witness its arrival, has most certainly received one of the greatest favours from Allah (swt). Being present in this world during the month of Ramadan is meaningless as long as the servant does not know how to enjoy its immense benefits, which no one should ignore. Ramadan as the fourth pillar of Islam is an act of worship of great importance and charged with many benefits.

There is, firstly, its spiritual aspect, namely the Taqwa (piety/ fear of God). The Muslim is bound to cultivate piety (and the fear of Allah) in himself. Then there are its economic, medical and social aspects. Ramadan is an act of worship whose benefits affect not only the individual but also the society, the country and even the whole world. The existence of a society is essential, for without it life does not exist in its true sense. In order for this to happen, life skills are very important. Every individual must know the task that is under his or her responsibility, in the construction of society and the role he/ she must play. The month of Ramadan is undoubtedly an ideal opportunity to put into practice the teachings of Islam in order to establish an exemplary society. Its social benefits are many, including:

Foster Unity & Brotherhood

1) Ramadan helps the servants to strengthen the brotherhood between them. Today we live in a society where hatred, jealousy, enmity etc. have taken place in the hearts of many Muslims. Sectarianism, division, dissension, etc. have demolished the unity commanded by the Creator.

“Truly, this community of yours is a unique community, and I am your Lord. So worship Me. And (yet) they were divided into sects. But all of them will return to Us.” (Al-Anbiya, 21: 93-94).

With a little wisdom, reflection and understanding, Muslims can transform this deplorable state into another better, where brotherhood resurfaces. They have only to understand one idea: “Allah loves unity and hates dissension.”

Ramadan: A Divine Favour

Ramadan is a great favour which Allah has bestowed upon us, Muslims. We shall perceive this favour only when we shall value it like it deserves, otherwise many Ramadans shall come and go without us maximising fully their benefits. The hadiths which I shall put before you show the virtues of Ramadan. Narrated by Abu Masud al-Gifari (ra) in a Hadith whereby Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has said:

“If my Ummah (community) knew the value, the honour and the importance of the month of Ramadan properly, they would desire the entire of the year to be Ramadan.”

In another Hadith narrated by Salman (ra): 

“On the last day of Shabaan, the Noble Prophet (pbuh) delivered a sermon; he said: ‘O people there comes over you now a great month, a most blessed month in which lies a night more greater in virtue than a thousand months. It is a month in which Allah has made Fasting (Roza/ Sawm) compulsory by day, and has made Sunnah the Nafil night prayers (e.g. Tahajjud prayers as mentioned by Allah in the Quran, and the Tarawee which represents an excellent innovation which Hazrat Umar (ra) implemented for he wanted to reunite all Muslims as one congregation following one Imam and not to be divided – and besides, this is the true spirit of unity which must remain alive whereby all Muslims must come together as one, under (the leadership of) one Imam, especially the Imam whom Allah has raised for you, an Imam-e-Inquilaab, a Khalifatullah, for there should be no division and different sects, but on the contrary, it should be like in the true intention of Hazrat Umar (ra) to reunite all people who were scattered and praying alone, to put them together in one congregation, under one Imam). 

Whosoever intends drawing near to Allah by performing any virtuous deed, for such a person shall be the reward like the one who had performed a Fardh (Obligatory act) in any other time. And whoever performs a Fardh, shall be blessed with the reward of seventy Faraa-idh (Obligatory acts) in any other time. 

This is indeed the month of patience, and the reward for true patience is Jannah (Paradise). It is the month of sympathy with one’s fellowmen. It is the month wherein a true believer’s rizq (sustenance) is increased. Whosoever feeds another who fasted, in order to break the fast at sunset, for the feeder there shall be forgiveness of sins and freedom from the fire of Jahannam (hellfire), and for such a feeder shall be the same reward as the one who fasted (who he fed) without that person’s reward being decreased in the least.”

Thereupon we said, “O Messenger of Allah, not all of us possess the means whereby we can give a fasting person to break his fast.”

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) replied: 

“Allah grants the same reward to the one who gives a fasting person to break the fast a mere date, or a drink of water, or a sip of milk (for Iftar, to break his fast). This is a month, the first of which brings Allah’s mercy (i.e. the first part), the middle of which brings His forgiveness and the last of which brings freedom from the fire of Jahannum. Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the hell-fire.”

“And in this month four things you should continue to perform in great number, two of which shall be to please your Lord (Allah), while the other two shall be those without which you cannot do. Those which shall be to please your Lord, are that you should in great quantity bear witness that there is no deity to worship except Allah (i.e. recite “Laa Ilaaha Illallah”) and make much Istighfaar (i.e. repentance, seek the forgiveness of Allah). And as for those without which you cannot do, you should beg of Allah, entrance into Paradise and ask refuge in Him from hell-fire.”

“And whoever gave a person who fasted water to drink, Allah shall grant that giver to drink from my fountain, such a drink where after that a person shall never again feel thirsty until he enters Paradise.” (Baihaqi, Ibn Hibban).

A faster should take 6 precautions when he observes his fast. Abu Ubaidah (ra) reports: “I have heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say: “Fasting is a shield for the one who does not violate it.” (Ibn Majah, Nisaï, Hakim).

In the same way that a shield protects someone, fasting also protects man (human being) from his sworn enemy, i.e. Satan. In the other Hadiths, we learn that fasting protects from the punishment of Almighty Allah in the hereafter and it is also a protection against hell-fire. 

Once someone asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh): “What annuls the fast?” 

He (pbuh) replied: “Lying, backbiting, fighting and vain disputes.”

Therefore, when you analyse these words of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), he (pbuh) said that lying, backbiting (i.e. saying bad words on others in their back), fighting, or vain disputes annul the fast just like food and drink breaks the fast. Thus, when this happens, that person loses all the blessings and rewards of fasting. All the sacrifices that he made, by waking up early in the morning and following the prescriptions of Allah and His Messenger (pbuh), at the end of the day, because of indulging in forbidden things, he loses all. This is really a grievous sin, especially in that blessed month (i.e. the month of Ramadan).

Six Points to Remember:

Therefore, there are six precautions which we should take when we observe the fast:

1.   That person (i.e. the faster) should protect his sight/ eyes by not looking at forbidden things. Our beloved prophet (pbuh) has said : “A look is like an arrow which comes from Satan.” The one who for the fear of Allah protects his sight against evil (i.e. he does not look at forbidden things/ beings), even in his talks with friends, be it through phone, mobile or email; you should be very careful, lest Allah rip away from you the mustard seed of Iman (faith) which was in your heart, and especially when Allah has chosen you to do His Deen works (i.e. the works of religion – Islam). You should behave well and not act like a hooligan. You should maintain a distance with all that are forbidden and preserve your dignity and status bestowed upon you by Allah. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has said: “If you show such divinely-given dignity and status, then Allah shall give you such power/ force in your faith that you shall be able to taste and feel the sweetness of faith from the bottom of your heart.”

2.     A person must protect his tongue from all forbidden things such as lying, vain talks, backbiting, disputes, foul words, etc. In the book of Hadiths of Bukhari we read that fasting is a shield for a faster. That is why, those who observe the fast should avoid all vain talks, mockeries, disputes etc. If someone readies himself to fight (dispute) with us, we should simply say: “I am fasting”. In other words, we should not start a dispute on our own and if the other one seeks to start a dispute, we should not fall into this trap.

In the time of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), there used to be two women who observed the fast and they reached a point that hunger was so poignant that they were on the verge of dying. The Sahaba (ra) went to see them and these women were given each a bowl to vomit therein. After vomitting, there were blood and pieces of flesh which came out from them. The Sahaba (ra) were astonished and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) told them: “These two women fasted from what Allah has made licit for them however, they broke their fast with what Allah has made illicit upon them when they sat with one another to backbite others.”

It is clear from that Hadith that backbiting makes fasting unbearable. That is why those two women nearly died. In fact, all evil deeds render fasting difficult (to accomplish/ to sustain). Experience show that fasting is not difficult for those servants (of Allah) who are sincere and devoted (i.e. the Muttaqiin – those who are righteous, who have the fear of Allah in their hearts). For them, fasting is never an ordeal whereas for the sinful ones, fasting is ever an ordeal.

This sermon does not end here, but I need to stop here for today due to lack of time and the members have to return back to work. I pray that Allah gives me the opportunity to continue on the same subject of my sermon next week (next Friday), Insha-Allah. If I continue, it shall be too long, especially when the six precautions while fasting need to be explained, and I have mentioned just two of them. Insha-Allah, I shall continue on the same subject next Friday.

I wish all of you – all my disciples worldwide and all Muslims – Ramadan Mubarak. May Allah make you blessed (Mubarak) in the blessed month which is awaiting us with open arms. In return we should also open wide our arms and hug this extraordinary and special guest sent by Allah for us. It is truly a treasure which Allah has bestowed upon us, and it is now for us to use this treasure in the best way which exists, and verily the best way is to follow the Sunnah (practice) of our noble prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). Insha-Allah, Ameen.

---Extracts from the Friday Sermon of 26 May 2017 (29 Shabaan 1438 AH) delivered by Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.