India @ 77: A Special Message

 

In a special message sent to the Hon’ble President of India, Mrs. Droupadi Murmu, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius shared the greetings of peace and good wishes for the great people of India on the occasion of the nation’s 77^th Independence Day.

At almost 1.4 billion, India is the world’s most populous nation and largest democracy, with the people professing a multitude of faiths and observing diverse cultural traditions and food practices, and speaking numerous languages in distinct regions. The country is bound together by a Constitution drafted by the leaders of the national movement that fought for independence from British imperialism. Indeed the nation’s constitutional norms reflect the values of the great struggle for freedom and equality in India, and celebrate the dignity and rights of the people in their incredible diversity. However, with the increasing assertion of total dominance by the majoritarian ruling dispensation  and its tactics of pitting the dominant community against the minorities, the original social contract of federal distribution of powers as well as individual  rights is fraying at the seams today. The great occasion of national independence is a time for all Indians not only to do thanksgiving, expressing gratitude for God’s mercy on this ancient land, but also to do deep soul-searching in a spirit of humility and prayer for guidance for the nation in the crossroads of time.   

Hazrat Imam Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah’s special message on the auspicious occasion of the celebration of freedom in India is also a gentle reminder of the duty and responsibility of nations- large and small- to embrace the diversity created by God in this world and to abide by the fundamental human values of peaceful coexistence and shared living in our multicultural world.   

Read the Text of the Special Message below:

Objections against Animal Sacrifice

  

We, human beings, share this world with so many other breathing beings. Animals and birds are communities like us, reminds the Holy Qur’an. It is our duty to live responsibly, in fairness and justice, recognizing the interests of collective life and common good on earth, for the natural environment and living beings are among the favours and signs of God on earth. Indeed, Islam teaches Muslims to treat all living beings with kindness and compassion, and not to cause harm, nor inflict pain on animals and birds unnecessarily. Even for slaughtering them as rites of sacrifice, a believer has to abide by rules and regulations, means and methods of Islam that reduce the pain and suffering of the animal concerned. 

While the Holy Qur’an and the teachings of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) as well as his practical guidance on the prescriptions relating to animal slaughter are rooted in wider concern for the fair treatment of these breathing beings, the reality of everyday life show that these foundational rules are frequently violated as not fully implemented, resulting in cruel treatment to animals and birds during the transportation and handling of the animals at various stages and levels of the cattle-transportation and meat market practices. Many people who believe in fair treatment of animals, criticise and object to the ‘Muslim’ practice of animal slaughter as they see it- without understanding the Islamic teachings and guidance on the pertinent issue. 

Reproduced below are two related questions- objections on Islamic ways of slaughtering animals and on meat eating in general- put forward to Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius and the prescient observations made therein by Hazrat Saheb (aba) on the wisdom of Islamic procedures of slaughtering animals as well as the need for respecting the life-balance in this ecosystem by catering to needs while avoiding excesses on all sides of the debate.  

The 'Sword' of Dhul Qarnayn

  

The Holy Qur’an mentions a great historic figure ‘Dhul Qarnayn’, under whose sovereign, royal authority all the known lands of the ancient world submitted. A wise and devout servant of God, Dhul Qarnayn was an impartial and just ruler who administered the territories under his suzerainty with wisdom and tolerance, with a view for social peace, tranquillity, and people’s welfare. Beyond confirming the identity and veracity of a servant of God and ‘ideal ruler’ from the ancient era as a matter of history and collective memory, the Book of God also relates the description in this regard with great events of the future when a Protective Shield of God would appear in turbulent times to set things right.    

 

Consider these Qur’anic verses:

 

‘On that Day, We shall let them surge against each other like waves and then the Trumpet will be blown and We shall gather them all together. We shall show Hell to the disbelievers, those whose eyes were blind to My signs, those who were unable to hear. Did they think that they could take My servants as masters instead of Me? We have prepared Hell as the disbelievers’ resting place.’ [18: 100-103]

The Future of Chagos

 

Against the backdrop of the 55^th national independence day of his beloved homeland, in his Friday Sermon of 10 March 2023 ~17 Shabaan 1444 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius spoke about a profound question of collective injustice and gross violation of human rights: the colonial Great Game over the Chagos Archipelago, and the arbitrary expulsion as well as the continuing forced prevention of the Chagossian people from returning to their homeland.

 

In a recent research report entitled 'That’s When the Nightmare Started’ UK and U.S. Forced Displacement of the Chagossians and Ongoing Colonial Crimes’ published by the Human Rights Watch called attention to the colonial crimes in Chagos islands and the need for reparative justice to the victims. In their Cold War rivalry with the USSR for global supremacy and military dominance in the Indian Ocean region, the United States and the United Kingdom secretly colluded to establish a naval base in the Diego Garcia and deployed inhuman machinations to dispossess an indigenous community of access to their historic land and means of livelihood through forcible expulsions. The searing injustice meted out to a hapless people by the superpowers of the day, and the continuing struggle of the people to justice and fairness is gaining increasing international attention now. 

With the ground beneath its feet shifting, the United Kingdom is constrained to be losing out on international legitimacy in its treatment of the larger Chagos question, including the patently illegal detachment of sovereign territory from Mauritius before granting national independence in 1968. Indeed, from outright denial of any legal responsibility in the past, to be seen to be sitting at negotiating table with Mauritius now, the United Kingdom is politically affected by the eroding global support to its conduct on the question of Chagos. As the wheels of international politics turn once again, it is feared that the ruling elite in Mauritius might be tempted to cut a deal with the foreign powers for profit without due regard for the legitimate expectations and basic rights of the Chagossian people.  In this discourse, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) warns against the impulses for unjust deal-making, urging national authorities to respect the entitlements of the displaced Islanders in the spirit of solidarity and national unity.  

On the Day of Judgement

 

Our moment of truth, our moment of reckoning is coming. Indeed, with every minute that is receding by, we are approaching the Day of Judgement. The Holy Qur’an calls this Day as the “Undeniable Reality” [Al Haqqah]. Like the Holy Qur’an states elsewhere, ‘Closer and closer it comes to you. Closer and closer still. Does man think he will be left alone? Was he not just a drop of spilt-out sperm, which became a clinging form, which God shaped in due proportion, fashioning from it the two sexes, male and female? Does He who can do this not have the power to bring the dead back to life?’ [75: 35-41].

 

On that Day, we will be presented at the infallible court of Allah (twt), ‘Master of the Day of Judgement’. On the hour of reckoning, the most comprehensive Book of Records will be unveiled; it is for us, each individual in her own merit, to face our beliefs, words, intentions and deeds- actions in complete detail- and to account for them in all fairness and justice. Our souls as well as our limbs will testify- for or against us. As the Holy Qur’an indicates:

 

‘When the Trumpet is sounded a single time, when the earth and its mountains are raised high and then crushed with a single blow, on that Day the Great Event will come to pass. The sky will be torn apart on that Day, it will be so frail. The angels will be on all sides of it and, on that Day, eight of them will bear the throne of your Lord above them. On that Day you will be brought to judgement and none of your secrets will remain hidden.’ (69: 14-19)

 

‘We have bound each human being’s destiny to his neck. On the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out a record for each of them, which they will find spread wide open, ‘Read your record. Today your own soul is enough to calculate your account.’ (17:14-15).

 

‘On that Day, man will be told about all his commissions and omissions. Truly, man is a clear witness against himself, despite all the excuses he may put forward.’ (75: 13-16)

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).

Power and the Doing of Good

In his Friday Sermon of 09 December 2022 ~14 Jamadi’ul Awwal 1444 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius continues his series of reflections on the state of international politics, and relations. In the previous sermons in the series, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) noted the war strategies and economic rivalry of major nations in their quest for global dominance- illustrating these earthly struggles for supremacy with reference to the policies of the United States and  China, in Africa and elsewhere. In the present Sermon, Hazrat Saheb (aba) continues to expand on the broader theme by referencing China's growing global footprint in the world through developing trade and transportation linkages, maritime connectivity projects and other transnational banking and commercial linkages collectively known as 'One Belt, One Road'.  

As against the crass materialism and cut-throat quest for profit over people that is at the heart of these transnational economic initiatives,  Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) advocates that true politics of imperium should promote just dealings and benefit common people and the society at large by encouraging charitable giving and developing shared facilities. In this context, Hazrat Saheb (aba) points to some outstanding episodes from global history: the critical role played by exemplary Muslim women such as Hazrat Khadtija (ra), and also a lady of the Ottoman household in leaving an enduring legacy of beneficial giving through Waqf endowments. Both affluence and power are opportunities for doing good, especially for the indigent and other less privileged of the society. May Allah (swt) enable everyone of us to live with a wider consciousness about the state of our world, and seek to improve its situation through doing good, individually and collectively at our own levels, Insha Allah, Aameen.    

Read the Friday Sermon Below:

'Zalzala Azim' and 'Fath-e-Islam'

 

According to Divine Promise- a grand prophecy preserved in the Holy Qur'an-, the religion of Allah as taught by the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) shall prevail on, and dominate over, all other so-called ideologies of life in the fullness of time. Yet, ironically, several Muslim communities around the world face glaring existential challenges at the hands of the disbelievers today; anti-Muslim forces in different nations are seeking to destroy Muslim communities. The mass expulsions and genocidal violence orchestrated against the Muslims in Palestine, Bosnia, Central African Republic, the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, the Uighur Muslims in China, etc. are emblematic of the grave challenges of identity, dignity and rights of people who believed in Allah (swt) and followed Islam as their religion. Palestine is a symbol of the oppression and destitution, slavery and subjugation that the Muslim Ummah stares in their political fortunes in our times. 

In his Friday Sermon of 18 November 2022~23 Rabi’ul Aakhir 1444 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al  Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius closely reviews the continuing  great injustice in Palestine, and also other internal challenges facing the Muslim Ummah in establishing the Faith and its majesty on earth. Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) cautions the Muslim Ummah about the painful consequences of the lack of unity and joint position within the Ummah on common threats and challenges. Narrow self-serving positions, economic interests, national pride, sectarian prejudices and schisms keep the Arab/Muslim world busy in their own silos, blissfully oblivious of the challenges facing the Ummah. In the meanwhile, other powers, like the Satan, can sense opportunities, easily mount and sustain their assault on Islam by picking sides among the believers, as they find the House divided on multiple fault lines.  Be that as it may, Hazrat Saheb (aba) warns the world that anti-Islam forces will not be able to 'finish' Islam through their maverick plots and conspiracies. The chosen messenger of Allah (swt) in this era foretells that the pharaohs of this era will also meet with Divine vengeance when they seek to destroy His religion, and the predominance of His servants and the religion of Allah will unfurl a new dawn in this world, Insha Allah, Aameen.  

The Wider Plan of the USA in favour of Israel

 

Ever since the creation of Israel, Palestine has become a symbol of unjust oppression. Innocents in millions have since then been debarred from their homes and properties. Peace which was their right was snatched away from them when their motherland became the object of a deep war and division.

 

In one way or another, on a daily basis we hear about the horrors committed against the Palestinian people – heart-breaking and sad; it is such a situation which brings tears to the eyes. They are oppressed in all forms and live in an open prison.

Islam & Women's Rights

 

In his Friday Sermon of 21 October 2022 ~24 Rabi’ul Awwal 1444 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius continues his exposition on the rights of women in society- aspects of a theme that was eloquently explained in the previous Friday Sermon in the light of specific Divine revelations he originally received  as early as two decades ago. Against the backdrop of contemporary issues in various nations involving Muslim women's status and social rights, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) underscores the truly progressive spirit of original Islamic teachings concerning appropriate social conduct among men and women, and the related regulations it introduced to enable people to safeguard against evil and indecency. Despite the rise of Islamophobia in the West, the growing number of women from non-Muslim cultures and  social backgrounds discovering Islam, including its modes of dressing, in recent years testify to the essential wisdom underlying the enduring teachings of Islam. 

At the same time, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) calls attention to the gross excesses being committed by those in authority in the name of implementing religious norms. The ongoing protests in Iran, in the aftermath of the killing of a young Mahsa Amini in the name of Hijab violations by the national "moral police" may also mark the beginning of the end of an oppressive regime of Mullahs playing God on earth.    

   

Elucidating on the Islamic concept of a non-exploitative social order where men and women have an equal responsibility in recognizing the dignity, rights and interests of one another, Hazrat Saheb (aba) underscores the need for the community of believers- both men and women- to gain a proper appreciation of the ethical roots and subtle wisdom that underlies the Islamic regulations of social life.   

Balancing Rights and Duties

 

Man is a social being. Just living requires the recognition of the duties we owe to others, just as we seek to exercise our own individual and other social rights in the community. Islam provides a range of teachings that address the fine balance of rights and duties to be achieved in society as well as in family; in our relations with parents, spouse/s, children, other members of the clan. In this series of special discourses, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius comprehensively explains the vital considerations of justice, compassion and benevolence the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) took into account while giving shape to the interpretation of rights and duties in social contexts. Read the Part 4 of this series, Friday Sermon of 02 September 2022 ~04 Safar 1444 AH below:  

Fulfilling the Rights of Fellow Muslims 

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I continue today the subject of my sermon on the rights of our fellow Muslims, especially the rights of the parents, and to what limit should they be obeyed, and the rights of one’s own child and spouse in respect of obedience to parents.

'Respect Rights; Fulfill Duties'- 3

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I am continuing today’s sermon on the same subject as the past two weeks, on the rights of our fellow Muslims, and also most specifically since last week, on the rights of the parents, and to what limit should they be obeyed, as well as the rights of the spouses and the children.

 

In the Hadith books of Imam Bukhari and Muslim as well as in Mishkaat, there is a lengthy Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) narrated by Ibn Umar (ra). In this Hadith three people are mentioned. They were on a journey when they were caught up in heavy rain. They took refuge in a cave. A huge boulder rolled and blocked the cave-entrance, cutting off their escape from the cave. The three decided to supplicate to Allah (twt) on the basis of some deeds which they had done with the greatest of sincerity. The deed which one of the three offered to Allah (twt) as his basis of supplication was about his aged parents and little children. He implored Allah (twt) in the following way: “O Allah! My parents were old and I used to go out for grazing (my animals). On my return I would milk (the animals) and take the milk in a vessel to my parents to drink. After they had drunk from it, I would give it to my children, family and wife. One day I was delayed and on my return I found my parents sleeping, and I disliked waking them up. The children were crying at my feet. That state of affairs continued till it was dawn. O Allah! If You regard that I did it for Your sake, then please remove this rock so that we may see the sky.” So, the rock was moved a bit.

Rights and Justice in the Family

 

'Respect Rights; Fulfill Duties'- 2

By the grace of Allah, I pursue the same subject-matter of my sermon of last Friday in which I talked about the having great considerations for the rights of our Muslim brethren. The rights explained are applicable to all Muslims in general. However, it is obvious that the importance and significance of rights will increase if these are related to special people.

 

In regard to rights, parents enjoy priority and greater significance because of their close relationship with their offspring. The rights of parents are unanimously accepted. I will not therefore elaborate on the details of these rights, as they are foremost mentioned in the Holy Quran and Hadiths, unless the parents deviates the child and intimates him or her to adopt false gods other than the true God, i.e. Allah. But even then, despite the wall of difference between parents and children who do not share the same faith, whether the parents are true Muslims and their children non-Muslims or vice-versa, even then Islam while ordaining the believers not to obey the disbelievers, even if they be their parents when they force them [i.e. the children] to worship others than Allah, Islam also commands that the non-Muslim parents be respected and treated well. They are not to be obeyed in religious matters, but concerning the affairs of the world, the children should show consideration and respect towards them and pray for their salvation.

 

In all things [and situations] there should be a balance. Like I taught you about the equilibrium which there needs to be in one’s own reform and preaching the unity and message of Allah, likewise, Islam teaches equilibrium of the rights of parents. Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran: “Surely, Allah commands you to deliver trusts to those entitled to them, and that, when you judge between people, judge with justice.” (An-Nisa, 4: 59)

'Hijab' and the Law

The recent expulsion of a number of ‘Hijab’-wearing, young Muslim students in Karnataka, and the subsequent imposition of a ‘ban’ on religious attire in academic institutions raise disturbing questions about Executive excesses, given their profound implications on the future of individual choice, religious freedom, and minority rights in India. Given the fact that multiple religious symbols  and attires are accepted and accommodated as part of the nation’s secular ethos and composite culture, and most Muslim girl children had been wearing headscarves along with their School uniforms for many decades all across the country without any issue, the present manufactured controversy against ‘Hijab’ in coastal Karnataka can only be seen as a manifestation of the tectonic shifts that are currently underway in Indian politics, especially the growing muzzle-flexing by Islamophobic extremists in the country who enjoy impunity from law despite their vitriolic campaigns for the erasure of all markers of Muslim-cultural identity from the public sphere of India as well as threatening to commit mass atrocities against the minority community. Hence, attacking a religious and cultural practice like ‘Hijab’ in the name of ‘uniformity’ in the class-room dress code is only the latest episode in the larger political project of remaking India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. 

Constitutional Secularism in India

As a large country with over a billion- people: professing different faiths and belonging to diverging denominational groups; a variety of regional traditions and food cultures; indigenous communities; speaking several languages; India cannot but remain as a shining example of unity in diversity. It is this spirit of tolerance, accommodation and inclusion that is the hallmark of the Indian nationhood as envisaged and consciously chosen by the founding fathers of the Constitutional order when India regained independence from British colonialism in 1947. Respecting the dignity of the individual, and accommodating cultural differences by express recognition of minority rights; evolving the bond of fraternity across all category distinctions and constructing a public order where every social group finds equal access to flourish in togetherness is the idea of India that emerges from that founding document of the secular republic.

The Economic System In Islam

In his Friday Sermon of 24 December 2021~19 Jamadi’ul Awwal 1443 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius explains the outlines of Islamic economic values. Islam fosters fair trade, and contractual arrangements based on free consent within a non-exploitative business environment. The prohibition of usurious interest, rejection of monopolistic ownership and control over natural resources, and other unfair trade practices, etc. are emblematic of the Islamic economic system. Likewise, to ensure the fair spreading of economic assets across the social classes and for the welfare of the masses, Islam created a range of institutionalized public-giving and other charitable practices, such as Zakat, Sadaqah, Wasiyyah, Waqf, etc. In this discourse, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) underscores the need for the believers of be aware of, and to be conscious of these religious, institutional arrangements for the creation of a healthy economic order and a just society, especially in the context of the foundational obligations of Faith.

Read the Friday Sermon Below:

Kerala: Gifts for Kids

 

“Do good to others. Allah loves those who do good.” (2:196) 

Islam instils a culture of caring and sharing, and a sense of responsibility within individuals for fostering a just society. Rather than being content to live with one’s wealth and family, the Qur’an expects you to be virtuous and do good to others as an obligation of faith and commitment. Being a trustee of God on earth, it is your duty to deploy all that Allah (swt) has gifted you in this life so as to work for the well being of all of God’s creations. 

This is especially so in times when glaring inequality and  deep fractures and fault-lines in our communities call for robust initiatives for a just and caring social order. Indeed, our broken times call for the creation of 'a new world' that foregrounds the protection and benefit of the poor and the indigent, the orphans and the widows, the homeless and the landless, the elderly and the sick; that facilitates education, skills training and other beneficial capabilities among the young for a better future.  

   

Inspired by the illuminating guidance and leadership of Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius, the humble and devoted brothers of the Jamaat are increasingly engaging themselves in beneficial social engagement programmes at their own local communities, Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah. 

Life and Times of Shuayb (as)

 

Allah (swt) has created the humans as His trustee(Khalifa) on earth. We owe our Creator, our very existence. Human life and progress for a period are all entirely due to His mercy and unending blessings. The Divine Trusteeship entails grave responsibility of conduct on our part. As trustees of Allah (swt) on earth, we owe a duty to care for all of His creations on earth- being just in all financial transactions; doing fair in all human relations; remaining moderate and balanced in our social engagements, etc. It is to remind us of this heavenly trust on our shoulders that the Prophets and saints of God appear in every era, among the people- 'weak' and 'forgetful' and 'prone to the temptations of Satan' as we flawed humans are.

Hence, it is height of stupidity and ignorance to challenge common sense and combat God's Message. Blinded by their own passions, the arrogant elites in their vanity laugh at the messages they dislike, seeking to fight against God and His Elects when they come to lead them to prudence and wisdom. If only the spiritually blind had the 'vision' to recognize the Light they are missing! The light of wisdom that the Prophets bring in do not profit  a people who are self-satisfied, who remain aloof from, and who show contemptuous disregard for the higher values of life that these messengers teach- clinging as those earthly worms to the pleasures of a fleeting time. Like Qur'an testifies in the case of numerous communities that persecuted Prophets in the past, Divine justice will pursue their excesses in ways they will least expect, and in moments of His choosing their reckoning would take place. Indeed, going by evidence of what happened in the recorded past, Divine vengeance is something to be wary of, by anyone who is sensible. Allah's mercy and blessings engulf a people who listen and follow the Divine commandments and teachings that the Prophets bring in, for their own welfare in this world and for salvation in the world to come. 

Divine Calamity To Those Who Disobey

In his Friday Sermon of 26 November 2021~20 Rabi’ul Aakhir 1443 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius explains the life and times of Prophet Shuayb (as) as a spiritual lesson for our times. The Holy Qur'an preserves the example of Hazrat Shuayb (as) as a man of Divine principles and ethical restraint in a society given to the worship of riches at any cost. Yet, all that people amassed in excess through unfair methods proved to be of no use to them on the day of Divine punishment. On the other hand, those who follow the Prophets in letter and spirit, they become recipients of Divine Mercy and Grace in every era, Insha Allah, Aameen.

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

Israel: A Racist Bully

 

Israel & U.S under Fire 

Israel’s attempt to justify its recent brutal assault on Gaza rings hollow to anybody familiar with events in Israel, where the government of Israel, backed by anti-Arab racists, has systematically, cruelly, and persistently violated the basic human rights of the Arab population. Like I told you last week in my sermon, Human Rights Watch, a global NGO with many Jewish leaders, has condemned Israel for crimes against humanity. 

Israel behaviour puts US President Joe Biden’s administration, which professes a foreign policy based on human rights, under the spotlight. If that commitment is genuine, the administration should support an independent UN investigation of Israeli human rights violations against the Arab population and suspend military aid to Israel until the inquiry is completed and the human rights of the Palestinians are secured. 

The Quest for 'Ummat-e-Wahida'

The time period of a Khalifatullah or a Divinely-inspired messenger is a vital phase in the spiritual and political spheres of his community. For instance, when Jesus (as) appeared among the Israelites, the spiritual (and political) expectation of the times was that he would establish the Heavenly Kingdom on Earth. Likewise, when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) preached Islam in Arabia, it eventually resulted in the establishment of a just and humane political order in the land as well. Indeed, the Islamic Aqeedah  contains within it the design and seeds of an equitable social order that will truly liberate humans from the chains and shackles that confine them to the clutches of Taghut and other satanic elements.

In this era of a Khalifatullah, political and material conditions of our societies clearly point to a world in decadence, disarray and anarchy, with much violence and bloodshed and unconscionable inequalities and rampant corruption. While capitalist social orders swear by civic freedom and liberties, and secular laws passed in people's assemblies are ostensibly for providing justice and welfare to the people, corruption and decadence have permeated every fiber of nations. Despite claims of being democracies that value freedom and liberties of people, the reality on the ground is such that much injustice and exploitation of the vulnerable take place on an everyday basis, ravaging our pretentious claims of being civilized peoples. All of these call for a just social and political order that protects the vulnerable from the 'slavery' of the 'free' (the rich and the influential).

In the reconstruction of the deeply-flawed and anarchical world order in our times, Islamic values can shine a light in ensuring freedom from slavery and other inhuman exploitation. Against this backdrop of the quest for a just world order, in his Friday Sermon of 21 May 2021~ 08 Shawwal 1442 AH Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius spoke about role of Islamic Aqeedah in reimaging the world order and in the creation of another world. 

On 'Zakaat' & 'Sadaqaat'

Islam fosters the spirit of universal brotherhood, and brings about peace and stability in social relations across class divisions through a framework of values that promote empathy, solidarity and genuine concern for the less affluent sections of people by imposing special obligations on the richer classes. The concept of 'Zakaat' stands at the centre of the economic values of Islam on charitable giving. In his Friday Sermon of 07 May 2021~ 24 Ramadan 1442 AH, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius, inter alia, spoke about the significance of 'Zakaat' and 'Sadaqa-e-Fitr' (i.e. Fitra). Speaking about the transformative potential of Zakaat as a dynamic social compact of charitable giving, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) notes: "The regime of Islam does not foresee misery in society through Zakaat, but unfortunately, many Muslims do not realize its importance and do not fulfil this duty. If Zakaat was managed properly, then many evils in Muslim society and in the world could have been avoided."

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon Below: 

In the Holy Qur'an, Allah (swt) says: 

“And be steadfast in prayer (Salaat); practice regular charity (Zakaat).” (Al-Baqara, 2: 44)

“Take of their riches a donation to purify them and to cleanse them thereby; and pray for them; surely your prayer is sereneness (i.e., tranquillity) for them; and Allah is Ever-Hearing, Ever Knowing. Do they not know that it is God Himself who accepts repentance from His servants and receives what is given freely for His sake and that He is The Accepter of repentance, The Most Merciful?” (At-Tauba, 9:103-104) 

“None of you [believers] will attain true piety unless you give out of what you cherish: whatever you give, God knows about it very well.” (Al-Imran, 3:93)

'Rahma': Ethics of Compassion

Humanity is facing perplexing times. With revolutionary advancements in technology and other arenas of human enterprise, the prospects for material well being, collective development and shared prosperity are brighter than ever before in our globalized world. And yet, paradoxically, what we witness today is that instead of coming together for the common good, the world is actually falling apart. Despite lofty rhetoric on rule-based international order, global governance is hostage to narrowly-defined economic interests of certain elite classes in richer nations. Economic affairs around the world are run in such a way that the  rich is getting richer, and the poor is becoming poorer in most places. Indeed, it seems day by day, the world is inexorably heading towards an unsustainable imbalance, precipitating man-made, and other ecological, disasters of all kinds. Already, the growing inequality, characterized by islands of affluence and pervasive poverty, is creating emotional heartburns, leading to competition and conflicts over control of resources, tearing apart  communities and nations. The widening disparity and simmering tensions can and will destroy public order if left unaddressed, and it calls for radical course correction in the way in which affairs of the world are being managed.  

The spiritual teachings of Islam provide a comprehensive framework to save the world from the brink of disasters at the moment.  A just world order is possible when we humans in all our systems recognize and return to the foundational values of life bestowed on us by our Rab, the All-Merciful Creator and Master of the Universe. The saviour of humankind, Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) left behind enduring guidance for creating an alternative, a  more compassionate world from the one in which we are living now. The Qur'an testifies: 'We did not send you (O Muhammad!) but as a blessing and mercy for all beings' (21:108).

The Prophetic teachings work to refine the humans by making them mindful of the Divine expectations of a life lived in absolute certainty of personal responsibility and accountability for all our deeds. It seeks to cultivate within the believer the  spirit of fairness, justice, kindness, compassion, benevolence and residual goodwill for all living beings who share the world with him/her. In seeking to obtain the approval of a Merciful Divine, a believer spreads kindness and compassion for all and would not cause harm or injury to anyone- fellow humans, the animals or the natural environment. In addition to insisting on justice and fairness in all settings of life, the Prophet of Islam taught people to develop beneficial solidarity across our differences- class,  race, language, nation, etc.- in a spirit of goodness and equity, and thereby respect the Will of God reflecting through the magnificent diversity in His creations in this world.   

Reproduced Below are some of the Qur'anic verses, and the sacred traditions and sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) that address the larger theme of Divine Mercy, and also  extracts from the final sermon of the Holy Prophet (sa) on enduring values for a just society: