'Halloween' in Arabia

   

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), in an astonishing tradition (Hadith), presciently foretold the Muslim Ummah that just like communities before them faced different trials in their times, the Ummah will also face real tests of national character in the ebb and flow of time. The Holy Prophet (sa) specifically warned the community against major sins that singed earlier peoples: spread of immorality and open injustice in the social order; unfair dealings and selfish indulgence of the rich, neglect of Divine commands and pursuit of amusement; factionalism among the elites leading to foreign intervention and eventual cultural subjugation under other peoples.

The world of Islam today bear witness to the essential truthfulness and fulfillment of those grim forewarnings. Under the ideological dominance of 'Godlessness' or hedonistic individualism, the social elites in the Muslim world are playing lip-service to sublime spiritual values; they are enamoured of Satanic temptations at amusement avenues and the economics of entertainment opportunities is driving the shifts in national policies. Hence, the Westernization process seems to grip almost all walks of everyday life in the Muslim nations in recent times. In his Friday Sermon of 11 November 2022~16 Rabi’ul Aakhir 1444 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius points to the pitfalls of this process for the community and society at large.  

Balancing 'Freedom'

 

The modern concept of human freedoms and individual rights emerged in the long, complex struggle for a new, social contract between the people and the State in actually-existing social conditions of slavery and serfdom in pre-modern Europe and elsewhere. Against the backdrop of the great struggles for independence from colonial subjugation and imperial practices of racial segregation and social discrimination, people looked upon Constitutionally-guaranteed and legally-defined freedoms as the bulwark against potential oppression and highhandedness of the ruling elites operating in the name of the State.  In Rule of Law theory, it is expected that the provision of separation of powers and the presence of an independent judiciary will facilitate the freedoms of individuals in society.  The proper functioning of the social wheel requires that everyone works within the functional work of personal responsibility and moderation of interests so as to respect the similar rights of others.  

In his Friday Sermon of 25 June 2021~13 Dhul-Qaddah 1442 AH, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba)of Mauritius initiates a probing discussion on the abuse of 'freedom' in our times by those who reject any limitations and restrictions on their concept of freedom. As Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) notes, such a context-free 'freedom' can have very negative implications: Hate speech, Islamophobia, racial and communal prejudice, bigotry and defamation; capitalist ownership of, and monopoly over Natural Resources, etc. 

The Shariah, or the Islamic Way of Life, contains a framework of ideas for shaping norms based on a true conception of individual freedom blended with social responsibility. Avoiding or evading Divine regulations in the name of 'freedoms' may unsettle the delicate 'balance' the Shariah seeks to achieve among competing public interests in a pragmatic way. While libertarians and anarchists call for freedom and rights for the sake of rights without any restraints and regardless of context; in reality, many nations are passing laws that severely restrict even the freedoms that people have reason to value. Sometimes, the laws made in the Assemblies and Parliaments of the people in various States do not get the balance right as they often 'lean' on the State's need to keep regulatory control and authority firmly in place, and when these man-made laws fail to gain the balance right in their regulations and policies, it invariably impacts peoples' freedoms and the  society's true progress, warns Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba).

Read the Friday Sermon Below:

Food: Choices and Consequences

Food and Human temperament

By the grace of Allah I continue to answer the questions on ‘pork’ that I received last week and I answered a lot of those questions, and today Insha-Allah, I will continue on the same subject to see a little on the immoral side which is sprouted by the consumption of this type of animal.

First, let us get the truth straight out that man is composed of body, mind and soul. The brain, the seat of the mind (with all its functions of thought, feelings and other psychological aspects) is a part of the body and takes its food as one of those parties. At any time, thousands of cells in our body get depleted and are used to operate the complex machinery of the body; food is used to replace these dead cells. Food particles become part of the body, part of which goes to the brain.

It is commonly known that food has an effect on the health of the body. But few people realize that it has an effect on the brain (hence the mind) as well. Healthy food obtained through legitimate means and consumed with a peaceful conscience, has good effects on both health of body and mind. But unhealthy food, or food taken at the time of emotional distress, harm to the body and spirit. 

The 'cultures' of Pork 

The pig is an animal such that even in countries where its flesh is a highly regarded consumer good, its name means a dirty person, a thug, a sensual, and a glutton. The word ‘pig’ is synonymous with evil and degenerate. This is because the pig is sensual and impudent. People who eat pork are gradually influenced by its inherent sensuality; and when this trend influences minds, impudence becomes common rule; modesty and honesty become outmoded ideas that are deviated from the cult of sensuality and perversion.