A Vision for A Just World

In his Friday Sermon of 16 December 2022 ~21 Jamadi’ul Awwal 1444 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius speaks movingly about the struggles of persecuted minorities; stateless refugees and other peoples caught up in climate change-induced migration; the deep connections between ecological disasters and armed conflicts, and also the problem of modern slavery: human trafficking across borders amidst deepening misery and despair at home in several lands.  

Speaking against the backdrop of the material conditions in Mauritius, Imam Azim (aba) urges fellow citizens to be deeply grateful to God for the available social blessings of peace, relative prosperity and global standing of the nation, and at the same time, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) gently reminds people to be conscious of long-term societal trends, and also be aware of the moral and ethical obligations the people owe to fellow beings in their midst- especially those in suffering and are vulnerable due to their difficult circumstances.  In this eloquent discourse, Hazrat Azim (aba) invites our attention to the obligations of our common humanity towards the refugees and the vulnerable migrants. Warning against the pitfalls of indifference, silence and negligence, Hazrat Saheb (aba) urges one and all to stand up for the less privileged and try to make a difference in our surroundings for our collective welfare and shared progress. Muslims especially have a duty to be the forces of good; fighting evil within and outside; standing up for justice and equity. Indeed, true faith and allegiance to Divine worship requires us to be mindful of the needs of our fellow beings and ease up their travails, and engage ourselves in the larger causes of humanity, reminds Hazrat Saheb (aba).

Securing the Future of the World

The Future of our Planet

Earlier this week, on 22 April 2019 there was the International Mother Earth Day which commemorates the Earth and all the riches it has brought us through the sheer grace of God Almighty. It comes as a reminder that the Earth is in danger that we all humans have the absolute duty to protect it, each at our level!

Indeed, nature is a gift of God given to mankind to enable each and every individual lead a joyful, prosperous and peaceful life. However, the greed of people and/ or nations to accumulate wealth by all means, coupled by superfluous consumption has prevented them to make a judicious use of the free natural resources at their disposal and has put humanity in the situation it is in today.

Never before has the human race found him to be so uncomfortable, so insecure and so uncertain about the future. Calamities like flood, drought, tsunami, earthquake, tornado, fire, smoke....(Like on Monday 15 April 2019 in Paris where part of one of the largest cathedrals of France and the world, Notre Dame de Paris burned in a fire. France and the Christian world in general have witnessed the destruction of one of their biggest symbols - gone up in smoke!...)

And also intense heat and cold in every nook and corner of the world and occurring even in odd seasons and in unexpected places, are taking everyone by surprise. Disaster of such dimension never occurred before. Many experts say that such changes (i.e. climate change), brought by the hands of man itself have destroyed the ozone layer protecting our Earth, thus causing global warming and bringing in its wake many other calamities. Such natural calamities as they are termed by man have transformed into divine reminders for them to change their evil ways and to embrace a righteous way of life.

God Almighty says in the Holy Quran: “Calamities have appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of the people have earned, so that He (Allah) makes them taste some of what they did, in order that they may return (to the right way).” (Ar-Rum 30: 42).

Disasters and the Renewal of Faith

Disasters, or Divine Wrath?

What are natural disasters, according to human terms? These are on one hand repressible calamities and on the other uncontrollable disasters varying according to the intensity of the calamities in question, for example: earthquakes, storms, droughts, floods etc. They are classified into two parts: (1) those which manifest as the consequences of what the hands of men have brought forth. For e.g. Global warming by the greenhouse effect, pollution, etc. (2) those which manifest by the nature itself of how the earth and the heavens function, sometimes predictable, sometimes unpredictable.

In themselves, by their nature they are form an integral part in the overall scheme of things in which all life is created. Their roles in this scheme are determinants and are not at all nonsense. So in the interest of a great number of lives, some small individual interests are often sacrificed. This is the accepted principle. Because of the important role that these disasters play in the planning of things and in the journey of life and progress, they cannot then be taken as meaningless just because some individuals are victims are them.

Ethics of Creative Destruction

The general philosophy behind these disasters could be understood if you study the phenomenon of life and death – the fight of one in the face of the other. Every step forward in the evolution of life brings in its wake millions and millions of victims. Each step causes the destruction of countless potential life. Even when we see in the universe millions of species and a number, which cannot be counted, of creatures in various forms of life – then what is their ultimate goal? If you understand how things are patterned you will discover that they are made to serve man and their roles are ultimately to serve the ecology of which man needs. All this is only part of the process. Thus the number is sacrificed for the profit of quality. This is the essence of this whole plan. If billions of lives are sacrificed for the benefit of man – the superior creature/ being – in order to increase his qualities and this after taking the test/ trial – then some sacrifices are justified for this great planning of things.

Prophecy on Disasters in Mauritius

ISLAM theorises that the clear knowledge of the unseen is only given to His chosen Messengers. The Holy Qur’an confirms: “He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not grant anyone ascendency over His domain of the unseen, Except him whom He chooses as His Messenger. And in front of him and at the back of him march angels as sentinels.”  [Surah Al-Jinn, 72: 27-28]. Thus, Allah the Almighty raises His Chosen Messenger in every era to warn the people about their excesses, shake their conscience about their irresponsible behaviours and greed and to take precaution against terrible events waiting to unfold as a consequence of what their hands have earned. The Holy Qur’an testifies: “We never punish until We have sent a Messenger” [Surah Bani Isra’il, 17:16].

When the All Powerful, Almighty, Allah raises His Divine Messenger, heaven and the earth will bear witness to the truth of the Messenger. His veracity and truthfulness will be established through powerful signs. Consequentially, heavenly signs may appear, illuminating the whole sky in a flash, or the earth may tremble so powerfully as to turn everything over it upside down! In this age of climate change, people have neglected the ecological insights of the Holy Qur’an. The theology of ecology that Islam teaches has been completely ignored by the ‘Muslims’ themselves. The abuse and mistreatment of the environment is beginning to catch up with us, everywhere in the world. The effects of human greed, environmental degradation and irresponsible exploitation of natural resources overwhelm communities with death and devastation on a colossal scale.

On 30 December 2012, the Khalifatullah Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib made some predictions for the year 2013 during the reading of the second part of his Appraisal of Events 2012. It is to be recorded that the following has been fulfilled: