Read the Text of the Special Message below:
Read the Text of the Special Message below:
He represented Puthuppally
constituency as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in
the State Assembly from 1970 until his death in 2023, making him the
longest-serving MLA of any state
legislature in India. He received an award for public
service from the United Nations in 2013. He was a
member of the Congress Working Committee, the apex decision-making body of
the Indian National Congress, at the time of his death.
As a political leader of Kerala, he served the people with much humility and sincerity of purpose all through his days in government as well as outside of it; Mr. Chandy leaves behind a rich legacy of public service; an outpouring of love and grateful remembrance by common people across the State when his body was taken on its final journey to the burial place is emblematic of the numerous lives he touched throughout his life as a people’s leader.
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).
Be it writing on social media, or appearing on television channels on public debates; the persons exercising their free speech rights have a duty to observe civility and courtesy, and not to fan hatred between different classes of people, nor spread bigotry among religious communities, especially so when they are leading politicians and spokespersons of a party ruling a country. When political elites fail to observe restraint and cross the red-lines in public discourse on people’s beliefs, or faith-related controversies; it invariably generates public resistance and political backlash, muddying the social relations- nationally and internationally.
Recently,
two leaders of the ruling BJP in India, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, indulged
in wanton anti-Muslim tirade, in public television and on social media. In
their visceral hatred of the Muslim community in the country, these ruling politicians
went to the extreme extend of attacking and vilifying the religion of Islam,
and insulting the sacred memory of the Holy Prophet (sa) and his family. Making
hurtful comments about the Holy Prophet’s life with his young wife Hazrat
Ayesha (ra), these thugs from the majority community in the land sought to humiliate
the minority community by insulting their religious beliefs. With the Muslims
in India holding angry public demonstrations against the culprits, and many Muslim majority-nations in unison calling out the Islamophobia on full
display in India, the episode involving the gross misconduct of its
spokespersons embarrassed not only the governing party but also caused deep humiliation for the country’s image and standing internationally. [Inset: People hold posters during a protest demanding the arrest of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokeswoman Nupur Sharma and expelled BJP leader Naveen Jindal. Credit: Reuters photo/ Deccan Herald/ PTI, June 10, 2022].
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:
“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.
As one grows older and wiser, one becomes even more conscious of one’s responsibility towards both the older and the younger generations. ‘Whosoever is unkind to our young and disrespectful of our old is not one of us’, declared the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). Indeed, being virtuous and showing gratitude to one’s parents is a Qur’anic duty on all believers- second in importance only to the duty to worship God: “Worship God; join nothing with Him. Be good to your parents, to relatives, to orphans, to the needy, to neighbours near and far, to travelers in need, and to your assistants.” (4:37)
Inspired by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir Ahmad Azim (aba)’s spiritual discourses and illuminating guidance, Mukarram R. Jamaluddin Raother Saheb of Mathra recently established a charitable initiative in Kerala, India. With the sublime objective of rendering service to humanity, Jamaluddin Saheb has founded and legally-registered a Trust in fond memory of, and in the name of his beloved parents, Janab Rasavumeeran Raother (d. 1951) and Fatima Beevi Saheba (d.1986).
Read the Friday Sermon Below:
In his Friday Sermon of 02 July 2021~20 Dhul-Qaddah 1442 AH Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius takes a close and hard look at contemporary world politics, to identify and call out the hatred that is shaping American double-standards at work in its threatening policies vis-a-vis Muslim peoples in different lands- in contrasts to its policies vis-a-vis Israel's "security". Urging international solidarity and support for the dignity of the oppressed in Palestine, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) underscores the need for everyone to wake up and understand the larger political designs at work, and resist the Evils of injustice, oppression and violence through the power of Prayer and fervent invocations to the Lord Almighty for Divine Justice.
Read the Friday Sermon Below:
A Legacy of Excesses on All Sides
Afghanistan’s
modern destiny is marred by much internal political strife and blood-letting,
especially in the last four decades. Illegal interventions and invasions by foreign
powers- [the Soviet Union (1979-1989), and the United States (2001-2021) followed
by counter-mobilization by militant groups armed and aided by interested
foreign governments, and the consequent internecine warfare destabilized the
land for long years. The emergence of Taliban in the Afghan refugee camps of
Pakistan, and its militant extremism- blurring the line between political
resistance and support for indiscriminate and unrestrained violence in the name
of ideology/religion against hostile foreign powers as well as defenceless
civilians cannot be divorced from this complex political and regional backdrop-
including the lucrative profits from mass cultivation of, and trade in, opium
and other narcotic substances across borders with colluding elements in
Pakistan.
Domestically, when the Taliban was in power in the land during 1996-2001, its policies were starkly marked by denial of educational opportunities to girl children; curtailment of women’s rights; cruel and degrading treatment of minorities; institutionalization of vengeance in the form of medieval punishments on opponents and enemies of the regime- all in service of a narrow-minded, extremist and simplistic understanding of the Islamic Shari’ah, bringing disrepute to the very Faith they claimed to serve- with hardly any country in the world recognizing the Mullah Muhammad Omar regime in Kabul in those years.
Israel & U.S under Fire
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.
Read the Friday Sermon Below:
Read the Eid-ul-Fitr Sermon Below:
Peace and Happiness
Eid-ul-Fitr is the gift of Allah (swt), so I wish to convey my warmest greetings and best wishes to all my Muslim brothers, sisters, and children, and especially all my dear and sincere disciples around the world. May Allah (swt) reward all Muslims for their endurance as well as their obedience and devotion to Him during the Holy month of Ramadan. Since fasting is obligatory on all Muslims during Ramadan, celebrating Eid today is incumbent upon all our Muslims brothers, sisters and children as a community; it is the occasion offered to us all to enjoy the divine favours upon us, to rejoice, to wear our best, to be at our best and to eat and drink what best has been prepared for it is expressly forbidden to fast on this festive day. But as always in Islam, all in the spirit of moderation!
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 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:
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 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.