Love for the Holy Prophet

  

Islam preaches belief in all the Prophets of Allah and calls for love and respect among all of us (prophets). Yet for a true believer in Islam, it is necessary to love the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) more than one’s own family. This love is essential, for it teaches the believer the value of obedience to Allah and obedience to His Prophet; and the Prophet who has been granted the highest rank before Allah is indeed Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). Thus, naturally and contextually in Islam, respect and love for the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) must be elevated. Allah commanded His Prophet to say: “If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Al-Imran 3: 32)

Battles of the Heart

The Struggle between Divine Will & Ego’s Wish 

In daily life, every person finds themselves confronted by an inner struggle; a battle not visible to the naked eye, yet very real within the heart and mind. It is not a war fought with swords or guns, but a silent conflict – a battle between good and evil; between light and darkness. It is a clash between divine guidance and personal desires; between what Allah has commanded and what the Nafs (the passionate soul) yearns to do. This struggle does not begin in the streets or in society; it begins within the heart itself. It is a constant battle; it starts from childhood and lasts until death. Whoever triumphs in this struggle achieves true success.

 

The Holy Qur’an describes the Nafs in various ways. There is the Nafs that inclines towards evil, known as “an-nafs al-ammarah bis-su’,” as mentioned in Surah Yusuf, Verse 54: “Indeed, the soul commands evil, except for the one upon whom my Lord has mercy.” This state is dangerous, for it normalises sin; it justifies disobedience; it turns what is forbidden into pleasure. Yet Allah, in His mercy, grants the opportunity to purify this Nafs, to transform it into a tranquil soul (an-nafs al-mutma’innah), as mentioned in Surah Al-Fajr: “O soul at peace, return to your Lord, pleased and pleasing.”

'Al-Hayaa' : Modesty in Islam

  

In Islam, Al-Hayaa is a noble quality that represents modesty, humility, and shame in a positive sense of the term. Our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) emphasized its importance, saying: “Faith (Iman) has over seventy branches, and modesty is an essential part of it.” (Bukhari). This virtue is deeply connected to faith, as Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) also stated: “Modesty and faith are inseparable. If one disappears, the other will also vanish.” (Baihaqi)

 

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was himself a model of modesty. Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (ra) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) never looked at people in an inappropriate way, even during a time when nudity was present, such as during pagan rituals around the Ka’aba. He (pbuh) also taught: “Modesty brings only good.” (Bukhari)

 

In the Holy Quran, Allah commands believers to protect their chastity and lower their gaze: “Tell the believers to lower their gaze and guard their chastity. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is fully aware of what they do.” (An-Nur, 24: 31). This verse puts emphasis on the importance of modesty as a way to purify the soul and strengthen faith.

 

In today’s world, society faces a decline in moral values, worsened by the influence of the media and Western culture. Pornography, which was once marginal, has become widespread due to the internet and modern technology.

Noble and Inspiring Traits

The Impact of the Holy Prophet’s Good Character on Society

 

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) was renowned for his exceptional ability to touch people’s hearts by adapting his approach to what suited them best. When he lost his paternal uncle, who had always acted as his protector against the hostility of other members of his tribe – the Quraysh – as well as other tribes, the Quraysh intensified their persecution against him after his uncle’s death. To escape this oppression and in the hope of gaining the support and protection of the Banu Thaqif tribe for his followers, he decided to travel to Ta’if. He also hoped that this tribe would accept Allah’s message, which he had been sent to deliver on behalf of Allah. He thus embarked on this journey alone as a testament to his faith and determination.

Faith and Wealth

 

The World, or Allah?

'And whatever you have been given is (only) the enjoyment of worldly life and its adornment. And what is with Allah is better and more lasting.' (Al-Qasas, 28: 61)

 

In a Hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra), the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had said: “Richness does not lie in the abundance of (worldly) goods but richness is the richness of the soul (heart, self).” (Muslim)

 

Only a contented heart or a peaceful and satisfied heart, soul or inner self of a person can attain to true abundance. And this abundance cannot be accounted for in this world. Where there is true love for Allah, the heart is grateful for whatever good Allah gives it. The love of Allah is imprinted so deep that no riches can ever deviate the true lover from his Creator. The lover of God and His Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is bound to be tried in every form, as a measure, as a test of his love, as a gauge to gauge his mettle, faith, and the love he proclaims to have for Allah and His Prophet (pbuh).

The Light of 'Taqwah'

 

'O believers! Fear Allah and speak correctly. He will improve what you do and forgive your sins. Whoever obeys Allah and His Prophet will indeed achieve a great victory.' (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33: 71-72)

 

The essence of Taqwah (awe-inspiring reverence for Allah/ fear of Allah) lies in total conformity to all divine commandments. This involves doing all that is prescribed and avoiding all that is forbidden or disapproved. It is understandable that this is a very difficult task for people. Therefore, by following the fundamental directive of “Fear Allah and speak correctly,” Allah gives the instruction that all who claim to believe in Allah and His Prophet must speak correctly, meaning they must speak good words, words that correct and improve their own speech or conversation with people.

 

Good words transform hearts. Allah has prescribed in the Quran that while there are specific laws for believers and limits they must not exceed, respecting the barriers that Allah has set for them through Taqwah, Allah has given His Prophet superiority concerning the laws He has prescribed, which are reserved only for him (the Prophet – whether it be the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), but also all prophets who will arise within his Ummah and to whom the Quran’s instructions will apply). Allah says: “Fear Allah and speak correctly.” Do not take the Prophet as an ordinary person like all of you. If Allah gives him certain permissions that He has not given to other believers, then the believers must submit to the divine will and not speak words that could cause their faith to vanish.

A Life of Humility

 

Consider the Qur’anic guidance on virtuous social conduct, righteous living:

 

‘Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames for one another….’

 

‘Believers, avoid making too many assumptions– some assumptions are sinful– and do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs…’

 

‘People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In God’s eyes, the most honoured of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware’. (Holy Qur’an, 49: 12-14)

'Eid-ul-Fitr' Sermon 2024

 

Eid-ul-Fitr, its Traditions & The Steps forward to Allah

EID-UL-FITR, a day of rejoicing, celebration, visits to relatives and neighbours is among us again. On this blessed day, not only adults are happy but children are also enthusiastic in their beautiful ornaments specially made or purchased for Eid. They are excited to meet their friends and close relatives and receive their gift today: Eiddi - a tradition that is still maintained among Muslim families. Beforehand, there is the major cleaning of the house, the changing of the curtains, and the purchase of various ingredients to prepare the traditional Eid lunch, especially in the Mauritian context, the Briani. As it is mentioned in the collection of Hadiths by Imam Bukhari: “And on this day one must be joyful, share his meal and his time with the family.”

 

This is legitimate because after having fasted during the month of Ramadan for the Pleasure of Allah, our Creator, He offers us – to us, Muslims – this gift. It is a gift He gave us with the advent of His beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and the command to fast the month of Ramadan.

The Signs of ‘Al Abrar’

 

Rituals of prayer and rites of sacrifice are a part of every Faith. Indeed, those aspects of Faith are its unique markings and as such representative of the very distinct identity of a community- like the anthems and flags of a nation proud in its independent existence. For Islam, the external forms of ‘identity-markers’ of a Muslim includes: performing ‘Namaz’, fasting on Ramadan; feasting on Eid, etc. Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) stated: ‘Whoever prays like us and faces our Qibla and eats our slaughtered animals is a Muslim.’ 

Yet, Faith is much more than just doing religious ceremonies in a mechanical fashion. In Islam, mere physical compliance to rites and rituals does not meet the requirements of piety. Even while explaining God’s sacred rites of animal sacrifice on the occasion of the great pilgrimage, the Qur’an states: ‘It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches God but your piety’. (22:37). The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) said, “God does not look at your bodies or at your forms, but looks at your hearts”.

Virtuous Progeny: A Divine Blessing

The Holy Qur’an is an ocean without shore. (18: 110; 31:28) For, the Book of Infinite and Eternal Wisdom in the Arabic language, encompasses within its wide-ranging verses, a world of profound explanations on several matters. Further, the Sublime Book with its inimitable literary style and reasoned argumentation, offers a fascinating glimpse of the ways of the Divine: a human mind can only marvel at the depth and reach of the Divine Book. The Qur’an remains a stunning testimonial to a Living God in complete control of the Universe around us and its clear guidance offers the extraordinary possibility of acceding to the exalted Divine presence for all hearts.  Those who plunge into the sacred text with a purified spiritual perception, shall find pearls of wisdom, illuminating insights and clear guidance on the ultimate questions of our existential, spiritual and ethical universe. 

Consider the diversity of human experiences in the world. How do we comprehend/understand the Divine Will at work in the world around us? How do we explain the contrasting fortunes of fathers and sons who follow different trajectories in exercise of their God-given Free Will? What role does soulful prayers play in the shaping of the destinies of individuals and spiritual communities? How to look at the (non-)linear linkages between spiritual legacy and physical progeny? 

Marriage and Family: A Divine Favour

Several verses of the Qur’an allude to the many phenomenon of nature and the creation of the human beings in a variety of settings: races, languages, religions, cultures and nations. Indeed the Qur’an cites the creation of the humans, from the humble ‘dust’ and the modest ‘clay’, as a fascinating sign of the complete Power and Lordship of Allah (swt) over all things in all the worlds. The plurality of the humans is described as a Divine Sign: 'One of His signs is that He created you from dust and- lo and behold! -you became human and scattered far and wide'. (30: 22). 

Across cultures and peoples, the institution of family is a foundational element of the social order. The relations of family and affinity between men and women through marriage and children are a blessing of this world. The Qur’an says: “And it is Allah who has given you spouses from amongst yourselves, and through them He has given you children and grandchildren and provided you with good things”. (16:73)