Divine Punishments & Rewards

  

The System of Divine Punishments & Rewards

 عَسٰی رَبُّکُمۡ اَنۡ یَّرۡحَمَکُمۡ ۚ وَاِنۡ عُدۡتُّمۡ عُدۡنَا ۘ وَجَعَلۡنَا جَہَنَّمَ لِلۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ حَصِیۡرًا ﴿۹

 

“It may be that your Lord will have mercy on you, but if you repeat (your crime) We shall repeat (the punishment), and remember that We have made hell a prison for the disbelievers.” (Bani Isra’il 17: 9).

 

There is disgrace, humiliation for those who cause trouble in this temporal life and in the Hereafter; this humiliation as well as the punishment that Allah will give to these types of people will be much more humiliating and painful than all the earthly punishments that you can ever think of.

 

The Message of the Holy Quran is addressed to all of you. Those who have faith and demonstrate this faith in their intentions and actions, they will surely get their spiritual reward which is a reward that is beyond any earthly reward that a person can ever conceive.

Divine Message and Our Choices- 2

Guidance & Misguidance: Rewards & Punishments: Part 2

 

“Those who reject Allah and hinder from the Path of Allah, for them will We add penalty to penalty, for that they used to spread mischief.” (An-Nahl 16: 89)

 

Allah has established the system of reward and punishment as the result of the deeds and intentions of mankind on earth. The rewards are doubled and multiplied much more - to a larger extent, more than one can imagine - for the true believers who recognise, accept and follow His Messenger whenever He sends one to this world.

 

As for those who harbour hatred and hinder people from the way of Allah, by restricting them from listening to the prophet of Allah and to believe in the Divine Message he has come equipped with, therefore such people invite upon themselves penalty upon penalty because not only have they disbelieved but they have also contributed to a larger extent to the ruin of the faith of others, lying as barriers in their path to forbid them from the way of Allah.

 

Hell is a place made by Allah to punish the evildoers in the hereafter. Paradise and Hell each has seven levels. The concept of stages or levels in Hell is based on the extent and weight of the sins committed by the sinner and those levels are associated with different kinds of punishments that are both physical and spiritual in nature.

Calamities and Divine Commands

The devastating earthquake in Turkiye and Syria earlier this month has resulted in a great humanitarian catastrophe in the region, with thousands of lives being lost enmass, and millions facing acute crisis of existence with displacement-induced shortage of access to basic resources and services. Looking at the sheer scale of the human and material loss at the earthquake, the media and the experts agree that Turkiye is reeling under ‘the disaster of a century’. 

 

And yet looking further around our small world, it appears as though destructive calamities are now a recurring phenomena, with different nations witnessing a range of extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones, droughts, land-sliding and earthquakes, etc. The outbreak of viruses and related public health emergencies are a major concern, long before Covid-19 struck the world with horrific consequences. All these are in addition to the several man-made disasters destroying societies around the world: consider the human cost and material devastation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and other violent ethnic/racist campaigns creating havoc in many lands.

Disasters striking the world make one ponder over the role and function of the Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all the worlds. Amidst all that is happening in the world, a spiritual view will be helpful in making sense of our moment here. God is never unjust to humanity. Through His chosen messengers raised and appointed in every era, God provides clear guidance on fundamental values of healthy and balanced living for the benefit of people. Divine teachings prescribe radical moderation and fair-dealings; equity and justice; compassion and empathy for fellow beings. It is by following the ethical code of conduct prescribed by God- the Divine commandments- on diverse aspects of individual and collective life that one can safeguard against the temptations of Evil: the empty promises of all false deities.

Indeed, humans can truly worship God, and make real progress in social life by relying on the Divine principle of compassion and benevolence. Instead of abusing God-gifted resources and faculties of the ‘self’, we ought to use the opportunities to serve the interests of our common humanity and thereby privilege the collective benefit in a spirit of solidarity and compassion for all. Indeed, nations inherit Divine mercy and blessings when they follow the correct and straight path of pure wisdom as taught by the Prophets and the Elects.

 

A believer does not agree with the materialist view that God is indifferent to human destiny and social fortunes. On the other hand, to a believer, Allah (swt) is not only aware of even the whisperings of the human soul, but He also comes to the aid of the one who seeks and prays for His help and assistance in times of need. For a believer, God’s grace and blessings are available to everyone. At the same time, His punishment is also very severe, especially to those ignore Divine commands and promote disorder in society. All that is happening around us is a reflection of the Divine Signs and manifestations involving both Divine Grace and Divine Wrath.   

The Fiery End of Lars Vilks

 

'Say, 'Think: if the punishment of God should come to you, suddenly or foreseeably, would anyone but the evildoers be destroyed?'---Qur'an, 6: 48.

Mr. Lars Endel Roger Vilks, the Swedish man who created great international controversy over the last decade with his incendiary caricatures of Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) with the body of a dog, met with a fiery end on Sunday, 03 October 2021. A fatal car crash on a motorway literally burned him to death, and reduced the body into ashes within a short time. It appeared as though no amount of physical security arranged by the Swedish government, or other emergency services  could save him from being consumed by an explosive fire destined for him on that day of misfortune. Global media prominently reported on this traffic accident: “Lars Vilks was charred to death when his car caught fire after an accident with a truck. The incident took place near the southern town of Markaryd. He was travelling in a police car that collided with a truck. Two police officers were also killed”. 

Vilks was a deliberate offender; as he ‘knew’ what he was doing. Calling someone, anyone, a dog is deeply offensive- an insult of the highest order- least of all the spiritual father of a global Faith community, and he sought to justify his despicable crime on the so-called high moral high ground of ‘unfettered artistic freedom’ to offend and shock people’s sensibilities. No wonder, the deeply-insulting caricatures depicting their spiritual father, the Holy messenger of Allah (swt) Hazrat Muhammad (sa), caused profound anguish and much anger among the world’s Muslims. 

The Reality of Divine Trials

Continuing the series of discourses on the Divine Signs of our times against the backdrop of the horrific global pandemic COVID-19, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir. A. Azim (atba) of Mauritius, in his Friday Sermon of 27 March 2020~02 Shabaan 1441 AH, underscores the need for being clear-headed about the phenomenon of Divine punishments. People should not confuse calamities that engulf sinful nations after a messenger is raised among them- to warn them of the Days of God- with the trials that servants of God meet with in worldly life. Both have different objectives and contrasting outcomes. While every trial contains within it the seeds of personal reform and social transformation, such trials do not benefit the arrogant, and the ensuing punishment destroys a sinful order to its core. On the other hand, the trials of the truly humble allow them to remain steadfast even in the face of despair and gloom in the vagaries of life, in utter self-surrender to the Will of God. Even when the believers are shaken by the tests of faith, Divine Law prevails against all odds.  Moreover, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) in the sermon also shares recent revelations on the subject of Divine Trials and Anger in our times, and offers profound guidance on course-correction from the brink of mounting disasters facing humanity today: turn to God in repentance for the excesses and sins of life; offer fervent supplications in the quest for Divine Forgiveness and Mercy, Insha Allah, Aameen.  

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

The World on 'Fire': A Spiritual Gaze

On December 4, 2018 the Peace Park Library- the cultural wing of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in South Kerala- at Mathra organized a social outreach programme in solidarity with the victims of the recent, devastating floods in Kerala- the worst ever in its modern history, and also to recognize and honour the humanitarian and charitable works being undertaken by Mrs. Jameela Rajagopalan, an ageing social worker in the village. On the occasion, pecuniary contributions made by members of the South Jamaat to the Kerala Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund was handed over to a senior official of the government. Village officials, public servants, civil society activists, writers and journalists were present on the occasion, and they applauded the works being done by Mukarram Amir Jamaluddin Saheb of Mathra in channeling his spiritual convictions towards humanitarian relief works and service to the people. The event was widely covered in the local press, electronic media/television as well as YouTube channels in Kerala, and the comprehensive Blog report on the same shall be published later, Insha Allah. 

In a Special Address delivered on the occasion, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius pointed to the profound dangers facing our common humanity. Reflecting on recent catastrophic events and vast disruptions, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) raised fundamental questions that require credible engagement by all those who are concerned about what is happening to our 'lonely' planet, the living Earth with all the profound challenges of atmospheric pollution, natural calamities; global warming and climate change. The obvious, and almost irreversible, imbalances that have been caused to the earth's stability and carrying capacity by the greed and corruption of the humans and their industrial and economic development models require a radical course correction, and that requires turning back to the ethical and spiritual way of life at the core of the teachings of Divine Elects in every era of humanity. It is when mankind begins to worship the True Divine- and not their false gods of riches and selfishness-that it will be in a position to do true service to humanity in a spirit of solidarity, recognizing the values of common humanity amidst all the diversity, alludes to Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) in his subtle but profound message, Alhamdulillah, Soumma Alhamdulillah. 

Read the Speech Below:        

Humanity in Danger

Honourable guests and my dear disciples,

May the Peace & Blessings of God Almighty be upon you all.

The world in which we are living is in a deplorable state. Calamities of every kind are striking the earth from the sky, the sea and from within the land itself. The question is why all this is happening? Why so many calamities? Are these merely natural calamities or signs of the displeasure of God Almighty?

From an Islamic point of view, as established in the Holy Quran, God Almighty says: “Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, that He (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may return (to righteousness).” (Chapter 30, Verse 42).

If we look all around us, especially here itself in Kerala which has recently, in August 2018, faced major floods and landslides, we see desolations and destructions of houses and roads and many people’s homes have been destroyed. More than 500,000 people have been displaced to refugee camps and over 500 people have lost their lives. Floods and landslides of such magnitude have not been witnessed since the great flood of 1924.

Stoning to Death for Adultery ?

“The Islamic law attaches great importance to chastity and condemns illicit relations before marriage. 

Severe penalties sanction this kind of crime, but it is false to say that Islam has made provision for the stoning to death of the offenders. 

In fact, the Quran makes no mention of stoning as a punishment, whether for the sin of adultery or for any other crime. The verse establishing the sentences for adultery contains no ambiguity.

“The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication, flog each of them with a hundred stripes: Let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day: and let a party of the Believers witness their punishment.” (24: 3)

 Although the Quran has clearly prescribed flogging, some schools of thought maintain that this verse deals exclusively with the punishment reserved for unmarried people who commit the sin of adultery and that married persons who are found to be guilty (of the sin) have to face the penalty of death by stoning.

However, the word “Al-Zani” denotes both the fornicator and the adulterer. The fornicator is that unmarried person who commits the sin of lust. No linguistic authority has so far proved otherwise and it is obvious that the above verse does not distinguish between married and unmarried people.  

The confusion seems to exist because the Holy Prophet of Islam (pbuh) had, on certain occasions, ordered the killing of those accused of adultery. However, it should be noted that before the Holy Quran was revealed in its entirety, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) conformed to the laws contained in the Torah to judge certain crimes, for the books of Moses (as) have provided for the stoning to death in these cases (Leviticus 20: 10, Deuteronomy 22: 122, John 8: 3-5).  

Making Sense of the Disasters Around Us

Before coming on the subject of today’s sermon, I would like to talk a little on the visit of the actual Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi who came to Mauritius on 11 March 2015 as Chief Guest of Honour for the 47^th Anniversary of Independence Day (12 March 1968) of our country. 

Honourable Narendra Modi was all praise for Mauritius and the exceptional bond which binds our two countries. The humility he showed as a statesman was much appreciated, as political leaders should be good models for society at large, intrinsically as well as extrinsically. Honourable Narendra Modi graced the National Assembly with his presence yesterday and axed his speech on the celebration of both the freedom and also the struggles which Mauritius had to do to get its independence. He also reminiscence the Dandi March led by the Mahatma Gandhi on the 12 March 1930 paving the way towards the Independence of India. 

We, the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam sincerely hope that the Honourable Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi proves to be a good statesman for the betterment of India as a whole, and to connect India to the global community in peace, justice, liberty, and noble aspirations and plans.

Life & Destruction through the means of Nature

Water is Life. But sometimes, water is a means of destruction also. Too much of something can spoil it altogether. Likewise, man needs water to live. Water is a blessing of God. Rain falls to revive the dead earth, and provide man with the necessary water to keep himself alive.

Very often when man’s action is not guided according to the Divine will, but according to his own passions, God Almighty uses the elements of nature against him, and thus what may seem like a natural calamity is in fact a planned divine punishment, to give mankind a wake-up call, to make them realise their error and return to the worship of the sole God who have provided them all their necessities and to whom they should be thankful.

Water is life, but the same water can become a means of death. God Almighty used rain water to flood the town and drown the people of Noah (as). The same water which man absolutely needs to survive becomes a lethal weapon by Allah to punish those whom He has condemned as culprits when they discard the divine warnings through His Prophets and Messengers and do as per their own will. Water also was used as a means for God to rescue His Prophet, Moses (as) and his followers. He opened the sea to save His servants and bring the destruction of Pharaoh and his companions.

 Disasters in the times of a Divine Elect

Since the start of the Divine Manifestation of this age, we have witnessed many calamities, but the exceptional nature of the Divine Manifestation, with the advent of a Messenger of Allah is that Allah through His Messenger already gives warnings to mankind before actually seizing mankind, or some people in particular (as per the divine revelations) for their misdeeds.

And Allah also affirms in the Holy Quran that the consequences of the people who commit evil shall be evil in return, and all misgivings and calamities which befall them are consequences of their corruption and evil deeds and thoughts. Allah through His prophets warns of the spread of diseases, and all sorts of calamities if people do not reform their lives and start acting righteously. Therefore, people should not blame God for any calamity but should blame themselves. 

Janbah Sahib's Allegations on Khalifa Sani

Abdul Ghaffar Janbah Sahib of Germany claims to be the Mujaddid of the Fifteenth Century of Islamic Calendar. Yet, his claim to the august office is dripping with the blood of a holy man of God: His grand theory of Zaki Ghulam is built upon cutting the jugular vein of Hadhrat Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (ra), second Khalifa in the Ahmadiyya Community who once claimed he was elevated to the position of ‘Musleh Maoud’ by Allah, the Most High based on His commitment/glad tidings vouchsafed to his illustrious biological (and spiritual) father, the Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian. 

According to Janbah Sahib, the second caliph was not a 'Zaki Ghulam' (pure son) or the 'Musleh Maoud' (Promised Reformer) as foretold in the revelations vouchsafed to the Massih Maoud (as). He was, in the viewpoint of Janbah Sahib, a fake claimant. Janbah Saheb theorizes that for making the 'false' claim of being a fulfillment of Divine prophecies, the second caliph of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya (Qadian) was punished by God Almighty. In support of his claim, the Janbah Sahib points to his own claim of being the real "Musleh Moaud". His apparent evidence is the incident of a life-altering, stab attack on the second caliph in 1954, by an impressinable youth who was brainwashed by the scheming Mullahs of Pakistan that committing of murder (assassination of the second caliph) is the way to Heaven.   

That the second caliph had to deal with the aftermath of a violent attack on his life is a fact of history. The grievous injury on his neck was of such a nature that survival from it was almost impossible; a miracle as stunning as the deliverance from the Cross of the man of God, the escape of the Messaih Jesus (as).  

Janbah sahib points out that after making the claim of being the ‘Musleh Maoud’, the second caliph eventually died within a period of 23 years. He argues by linking these two factors to establish / prove that the second caliph met with an accursed death of a false claimant of Divine revelations. Janbah Sahib further links the truthfulness of the claim of Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius as the Muhyi-ud-Din/ Khalifatullah/Messenger of Allah of this age, is inextricably intertwine with the truthfulness of the second caliph (ra). Janbah Sahib has however, then, sought to create a barrier between them by accusing the Khalifa Sani of having met with an accursed death.

The hollowness of the basic claim of Abdul Ghaffar Janbah Sahib was exposed by Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius, in his Friday Sermon of January 21, 2011. In response to a question by Shabeeb Haneef Sahib of Kerala in this regard, Mansoor Ahmad Sahib of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Islah Pasand/ the party of Janbah sahib, has once again presented this satanic theory and the same was published online at their website recently with the title: “Lion of God”.