The Role and Function of 'Imam'

 

In his Friday Sermon of 26 May 2023 ~05 Dhul-Qaddah 1444 AH, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius reminds us profoundly about the forthcoming accountability that all of us- human beings on the face of earth- are bound to face  on the Day of Judgement. Allah (swt) has gifted us the freedom of choice in this world, and the power is hinged with responsibility and consequences for our own future well being- both in this world and in the world to come. As God is Just, and no injustice shall be done to anyone on the Day of Decision when the Book of Records shall be unveiled; indeed, in the life to come, the fire of Hell or the bliss of Heaven awaits people based on the record of their deeds. 

Allah (swt) raised messengers and prophets in the past to guide human communities on the correct path to follow in life. The 'Imams' so raised  warned people about the two highways of life: of the need to believe in Divine guidance and messages, and to be wary of the deviant path and temptations the Satanic forces promote. Indeed,  Prophets and saints imbued with the Holy Spirit (Roohul Quddus) provide true guidance to people in every era. They are the true ‘Imam’ believers follow in their spiritual quest, for these men of God lead people to the heavenly abode whereas the deviant ‘Imam’s- satanic leaders- marshal people to Hellfire. Whereas the True Imam leads to Divine Contentment and Heavenly Bliss, Divine Wrath and Hell fire is the fate of those who follow their own whims, or the lead of those who promise delusion.

In this discourse, Hazrat Muhyiuddin (aba) points out that Divine revelations and inspirations are a subtle spiritual reality that has meaning and substance even in this era. Contrary to popular perception, the door of Divine communion and communications remain wide open. To attain true guidance and certainty, one needs to purify one’s heart for sincere faith in God; offer repentance in true devotion to the One and Only God. Such truly humble devotion and secret invocations and prostrations at the Throne of God can open up one’s spiritual path, and enable one to experience true guidance and mystical communion even in this era.     

Read the Friday Sermon:  

The Divinely Elected Imam & True Guidance

 

“One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams; those who are given their record in their right hand will read it (with pleasure), and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least.” (Al-Isra 17: 72)

 

In the Holy Quran Allah (swt) says: “One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams”

 

What is the meaning of being Imam here? Some understand the meaning to be that each nation or group will appear with its leader, who will bear witness to its virtues or sin. Another view is that the imam is their revelation, their book [which they received].

The Leaders We Follow

In shaping the destiny of nations and communities, whether in secular matters or in religious affairs, the nature and quality of leadership plays a vital role. Good leadership leads to the progress and wellbeing, whereas arrogant and unscrupulous leaders preside over the gradual destruction of nations. Leaders and scholars, the chiefs and the priests, the caliphs and the Ulema- they are the influential groups in every society as they are the literal embodiment of prudence, wisdom and sagacity, as it were: when they go in the right direction, nations flourish and when they go wrong, communities stare at wholesale decadence and ruin. Indeed, the Holy Qur'an contains profound observations on the fate and fortune of people linking it directly with the choices they/we make in life, in deciding to follow the 'leaders' we encounter and accept. In his Friday Sermon of 11 June 2021 ~29 Shawwal 1442 AH, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius underscores the need for caution and prudence in following 'leaders'. Drawing on Qur'anic warnings against keeping blind faith in misguiding leaders who will lead their followers to Hell-fire, and also the exemplary sociological insights of the Holy Prophet (sa) and his wise second Caliph Hazrat Umar (ra) on the future of leadership within the community, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) recommends Taqwah for everyone in choosing/following leaders and scholars as good leadership is central for social and national progress. Read the Friday Sermon Below:

Beliefs and Practices in Shi‘a Islam

The Shi'a belief on 'Imamat'

The Shiites believe that after the death of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and this till the end of the world, Allah has nominated twelve Imams. According to them, those twelve Imams had been nominated by Allah through Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The first Imam according to them is Ali (ra), the second one, his son, Imam Hassan, the third one Imam Hussein and the rest of the nine Imams being found in their bloodline.

From the first Imam (i.e. Ali) till the eleventh Imam (Hassan Askari), all died a natural death like the rest of mankind. As for the twelfth Imam, the son of Hassan Askari, he mysteriously disappeared in this youth and went into hiding in a cave. Now till the end of the world, according to the Shiites, he alone has the exclusive right to reign upon the world. The belief in Imamat is obligatory (Farz) for a Shiite and the one who does not believe in it shall see himself being rewarded hell as resting place. In one of their books, Al-Kafila there is the mention that if the earth (i.e. the world) remain without an Imam, it shall sink. Still according to this book, the (Shiites) Imams are selected by Allah just like Allah chose the prophets.

The Origin of the Sect

Shia in itself is not a religion; it is a sect in Islam. After the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar (ra) and during the caliphate of Hazrat Uthman (ra), Islam propagated in several countries outside Arabia, such as Persia, etc. Many people accepted Islam at that time. Many entered the fold of Islam sincerely while many others entered therein hypocritically.

'The Khalifa of Islam': Of Titles and Tasks

10 Years of the official proclamation as "Khalifatullah" 

In a special lecture delivered on 27 May 2018, coinciding with the 10th Anniversary of his Divinely-inspired proclamation of 26 May 2008 as the Caliph of God-"Khalifatullah"- the foremost Islamic spiritual personality of this era Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius- Holy Founder of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- gives an illuminating discourse on the system of the advent of the Spiritual Heirs of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) in every era of Islam, to rejuvenate the Faith and to be a practical exemplar of the Holy Tradition/ Islamic Practice in everyday life for the devout. 

The Islamic sacred tradition recognizes the devout savants of the Faith by conferring upon them grand titles: "Khalifa", "Imam", "Mujaddid", "Muhyi-ud-Din", "Sheikh-ul-Islam", "Hujjatul Islam", "Mahdi", "Massih","Ummati-Nabi", etc. Drawing on the Holy Prophet's teachings, and also keeping in view the additional explanations of the Promised Massih (as) in the previous era, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) in his discourse, succinctly summarizes the spiritual doctrine on the purpose of the advent of the Elects of God in every era. Moreover, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) reminds both his enemies and friends of the need to be critically aware of the "mistakes of the past" when peoples and communities have preferred the adulation of the powers that be and ignored perennial Divine teachings and thereby they let go of a precious heritage of sublime faith represented by the advent of a Divine servant among them. 

Alhamdulillah, the message is of immediate relevance to the Ahmadis of our times- in a context where their elected Khalifatul Massih Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Saheb has been bereft of Divine illumination. Many devout Ahmadis are now seeking to engage with the larger question of Divine Guidance and revelations with the advent of a Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah in this era in the person of Hadhrat Munir Azim Saheb of Mauritius (atba), Soumma Alhamdulillah.

The Enduring Blessings of Islam

Most Ahmadis today somehow believe that Allah has abolished the Divine Scheme of sending Mujaddidin in every century to revive the Muslims and to renew their Faith. They consider that sincere believers have to be content with the man-elected Khulafa in the Ahmadiyya Community for all practical purposes and that for the purpose of Divine guidance in future, if any, only an Ahmadiyya can elevated with Divine revelations by Allah (twa). The Divine Prerogative of choosing and selection whoever He wills has come tom an end with the establishment of Ahmadiyya Khilafat- at least, that is what the leaders and the priests within would like common Ahmadis to believe as religious doctirne.

On the other hand, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian presented Islam as a living faith that produced through the centuries of its existence, countless saints and godly people. More importantly, Hadhrat Ahmad (as) firmly believed that these blessings will certainly continue till the Day of Judgement amongst sincere believers who followed the fundamental teachings of Islam. We are presenting below certain extracts from the writings of Hadhrat Ahmad (as) that affirms the enduring blessings of Islam and points out the mistaken notions of the Shia Muslims in this regard. Reflective Ahmadis will find remarkable lessons in the episode:  

“It must be clear to you that when a true seeker lives Islam obediently and completely and each of his faculty truly and automatically follows God’s commands then the overall results of his efforts is that Allah sends signs of guidance to him on a larger scale without any intermediary veils. That is to say that this person will directly experience Allah on a higher level. Many kinds of blessings fall on this person. These commands were accepted due to his faith and because it was obligatory on him.