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)

Unity of the Muslim Ummah- 2

 

Reaching for Unity (Pt.2)

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I shall continue to expound today in my sermon about the Unity of the Ummah, and why the community of Muslim believers cannot bring itself to unite while the non-believers are successfully uniting themselves in their common goals.

 

So, the third cause…

 

THIRD CAUSE

 

Disagreement among the people of truth does not arise from lack of zeal and aspiration, nor does union among the people of misguidance arise from loftiness of aspiration. Rather disagreement among the people of truth arises from their misuse of high aspiration, and union among the people of misguidance arises from the weakness and impotence that come from lack of aspiration. What impels the people of guidance to the misuse of their high aspiration - and hence to disagreement, and rivalry - is the desire for heavenly reward that is counted as a praiseworthy quality in the Hereafter.

 

It is even recorded in authentic traditions of the Holy Prophet that at the End of Time the truly pious among the Christians will unite with the people of the Quran and fight their common enemy, i.e. irreligion. Then the people of religion and truth will sincerely unite not only with the truly pious and spiritual ones among the Christians, but with all classes of pious and sincere people refraining from the discussion and debate of points of difference in order to combat their joint enemy, i.e. aggressive atheism.

Qur’anic Commandments-II

A TREASURE TROVE of practical wisdom, beneficial to humans in their every day individual and community life, are preserved in the Holy Qur'an in the form of Divine Commandments. Long before the advent of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) in Arabia, God's Prophets addressed their own communities on good and evil, on right living and right conduct, and on how to avoid wrongdoing and mischief in the land, and to preserve justice and peace among different communities in society. Thanks to the Divine Blessing of the advent of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Holy Qur'an, we have access to those timeless teachings- the universal wisdom of the Ages- originally addressed by Allah (swt) to the ancient communities through their own messengers. 

The pearls of practical advice, recorded in a succinct way in the Book of God, invite every human to lead a life in profound awareness of the Oneness of God, the Creator, the Controller and Fashioner of our destinies in the world; a life of ethical moderation and spiritual contemplation where a Seeker trains his soul to leave behind the temptations and evil impulses of earthly existence, so as to embrace its heavenly destiny in remembrance of, and nearness to, God.  

The spiritual guideposts encourage one to adopt the virtues of modesty and balance in personal habits and temperament, beginning from the food we eat and the provisions we seek. We should cultivate humility and the spirit of accommodation as personal qualities in our relations with others. We should neither be domineering, nor high-handed in our engagements involving fellow beings. We should seek to avoid discord in relations with spouses, with the rest of the family, and within the wider community and society. Put differently, strive to be fair and just in fulfilling all your responsibilities; respect the rights and free choices of others; discharge your duties towards relatives as well as strangers, and try to avoid all that can lead to discord and conflicts in social and community relations. Learn to forgive and forbear in times of differences with others. Indeed, Qur'anic ethics, when practiced by real men and women, will lead to both inner peace, community solidarity and social tranquillity. 

The Divine Law warns against injustice and domineering attitudes in society as it can lead to disputes and violence and anarchy, destroying the whole edifice from within. Reminding us about those who sold their souls for cheap victories in this life at the price of the Hereafter, the Heavenly Light strongly urge us to consider, prefer and embrace truly-rewarding choices, in weighing the priorities in our moment in this world. Indeed, Qur'an's discerning teachings could work as foundational basis for anyone who seeks to construct a life rooted and nurtured in spiritual values; a life of prayer and utter devotion to God, and of performing good works and of sacrificing and giving for the benefit of fellow beings.  

The Virtue of Selfless Service

Siraj Makin, the women’s collective of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, organized a One-Day Ta’lim Majlis (Divinity Study Programme) at the historic Noor'ul Islam Masjid Mathra, South Kerala, India on Wednesday, 11 September 2019~ 10 Muharram 1441 AH. The Ta’lim Majlis essentially sought to build upon the earlier initiatives of the Kerala Siraj Makin- the programmes of 09 February 2019, 19-20 April 2019 & 23 June 2019- for the benefit of its members so as to keep them aware of the Deeni Ta’lim, and to provide them an opportunity for collective learning. 

Addressing the ladies of the Jamaat in Kerala on the occasion, International Sadr of the Siraj Makin Hazrat Ummul Mu’mineen Fazli Amena Varsally Saheba of Mauritius spoke on the virtues of a true believer.  In this amazingly succinct message, Hazrat Saheba defines and illustrates the qualities and obligations of spiritual humans. Rooted firmly in God-consciousness and recognizing the inherent dignity of all fellow beings as God’s creatures, a true believer is to render public service benefiting one and all. Equally important is the ‘spirit’ in which such service is performed: “with a smiling face and a smiling heart, always humble and sincere, and very dedicated in what you do, all for the sake of Allah”, reminds Hazrat Saheba.  

Read the Text of the Speech Below: 

My dear daughters,

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu.

Alhamdulillah, on the occasion of your special Ta’alim Meeting, I would like to address you few words on the importance of Khidmat-e-Khalq, i.e. Service to Humanity, and some of our important duties as a believer.

Indeed, serving others selflessly is a great virtue. The pious female servants of Allah since the dawn of time have sacrificed a lot to help humanity. Indeed, we should follow their examples, and inculcate this virtue in our children so that they may follow the right path and follow these precepts.

We should never neglect our Muslim sisters, and always have good thoughts about them, and always think positive on them, and communicate with them in the best way which is pleasing to Allah.

I know that the women and girls of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam has a lot to offer, in terms of their time, religious works and dedication to the cause of Allah by helping the poor and needy, and to bridge the gap of distance between sisters of the same faith.

I have faith in you that you will show yourselves exemplary in the field of Khidmat-e-Khalq, and you will fulfill your duties as sisters by visiting your fellow sisters who are ill, those who need your help and assistance, and those who just need the comfort of your presence by their sides. A smile is precious. It is a dear form of charity. A smile, and a good word can resolve many issues in life. Indeed when there is a diamond in the heart, it shines on the face. This I firmly believe.

The life of a Muslim is filled with many ups and down, but he or she must trust in Allah so much so that nothing comes in his or her way towards the Lord of the Heavens and Earth. Your mission is to serve mankind, and serve the people of our own Jamaat and the rest of humanity, and you should do it, Insha-Allah with a smiling face and a smiling heart, always humble and sincere, and very dedicated in what you do, all for the sake of Allah.

The Divine Messages of 21-23 June 2018

In his Friday Sermon of 06 July 2018 (21 Shawwal 1439 AH), Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius presents before the world the recent Divine Messages which he received from Allah (swt). These Messages from the Unseen contain profound insights into the uncompromising monotheism that Islam espouses as the spiritual path for the humans. Under the Islamic conception of God, the ultimate sovereignty and authority lies entirely with that Unique, Eternal and Everlasting Being who is the Lord of the Universe. So comprehensive and so complete is the Lord’s control over all affairs that the humans are utterly dependent upon His favours for the chance gains of this life. Divine Grace and Mercy determines his very existence and continued welfare, both in this world and in the world to come.

A necessary corollary of this concept of Divine Lordship/Rule is the ideas of human equality and universal brotherhood. In the Kingdom of God on Earth, all people of various identities- across classes, peoples and nations- are to share the global space and live in harmony and amity, celebrating the promise of diversity in our common humanity and shared destiny. Amidst all the God-made differences in the world, people can and should learn from each other in a spirit of humility and modesty, building networks of solidarity and mutual cooperation and of healthy competition in the pursuit of good deeds. In such a Divine Order, there is no space for Satanic impulses like arrogance, false pride, vanity and hubris.

The Divine scheme of things in the real world of the humans acknowledges that 'spiritual diseases' are a reality and that the true believers need to be aware of it. The vicious offshoots of satanic impulses can prevent us from being just to God and the fellow humans. Both in human relations and international affairs, one can see the individual and collective ‘self’ at work. Often the way in which one defines the ‘Self’ also determines his/her attitude towards the ‘Other’. A capacious conception of the ‘self’ make us humble and humane and allows us to empathize to, and identify with, the problems of other peoples/nations like us, whereas a narrowly-defined ‘self’ induces us to have a blurred view of the 'other'. The chance gains of this life- individual attainments; family ‘pedigree’; riches; class/group identities; national power- can even turn us away from our larger responsibilities towards God and our fellow beings. Whereas all blessings of this life come from God, to credit these bounties to any false sense of 'self' is nothing but delusions induced by the work and whisperings of the satans. As it happens, false pride and arrogance leads to an inexorably destructive trajectory of intolerance, fanaticism, extremism and violence; whereas humility and empathy for others lead us to gaze at the whole human race as ‘limbs of the same body’.

The Divine Message invites our attention to the ‘Way of Allah’. In a world that has virtually turned upside down- riven with imperialist overreach fueling conflicts in the poorer nations; capitalist aggrandizement exacerbating global injustice; inequality and poverty amidst concerns of global warming and climate change; scant regard for human dignity and the rights of the indigent masses, migrants and refugees- it is important to underscore spiritual values and ethical principles in the quest to reclaim the world on an even keel. By raising an Elect of His with a mission- the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International- the Lord of the Universe indicates where the future belongs in our world, Insha Allah. Just as all prophets and other Divine messengers in the long chain of human history had called the people of their times to God; a Divine servant of our times is here to remind us about the wisdom of eternal teachings preserved in the Holy Qur’an- be humble; shun arrogance and seek to strive in the pure and clear path of Divine proximity, Alhamdulillah, Soumma Alhamdulillah. 

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

Today I have chosen to present to you the Divine Messages which I received from Allah on the 21 June 2018 in English, messages which continued sometimes continuously and other times intermittently till 23 June 2018.

Al-Yawma ak-maltu lakum Diinakum wa atmamtu alaykum nimatii wa raziitu lakumul Islaama Diinaa. [Which means: This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as religion.]

O Munir Ahmad Azim, My Khalifatullah and Messiah of this era, I raised you in this era as Dalil Al-Khayrat (The Guide to good deeds) and Nasih (The True Counsellor and Transformer of Men’s souls) with a Jamaat named Sahih al Islam.

Sahih al Islam means: The truth of Islam which corrects and cancels man’s distortions of divine truths previously revealed and re-establishes the true message of Allah (swt).