The month of Ramadan, metaphorically speaking, is a flower whose petals evoke the Divine Beauty, His (Allah’s) wisdom as well as His mercy towards the believers.
The month of Ramadan, metaphorically speaking, is a flower whose petals evoke the Divine Beauty, His (Allah’s) wisdom as well as His mercy towards the believers.
In his Friday Sermon of 08 September 2023~22 Safar 1445 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius gives a deep exposition on giving in the way of God.
Sincerity of intention and action is the mark of true faith. A true believer remembers Allah (swt) with her heart; is in awe of God’s commandments and prescriptions all the time. One’s mind, body and wealth- all will testify to devotional religious practices in everyday life: recitation of the Holy Qur’an; regular performance of the prayer; spending one’s wealth and resources secretly and openly in service of God’s cause. A public act of giving can encourage others to do the same. A person should not to be boastful; Qur’an condemns hypocrisy and show off- ‘someone who spends his wealth only to be seen by people’ (2:265; 4:39). Indeed, the true spirit of giving in religion- whether publicly or privately, is seeking only the Face of God, the approval and pleasure of God in sheer gratefulness for all that He has entrusted one with in terms of wealth and resources in this world. ‘Those who give, out of their own possessions, by night and by day, in private and in public, will have their reward with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve’ (2:274)
Read the Friday Sermon Below:
'Those who recite the
Book of Allah, keep up the prayer, give secretly and openly from what We have
provided for them, may hope for a trade that will never decline.' (Surah Al-Fatir, 35: 30)
Here “from what We
have provided” does not just mean wealth, but also includes abilities,
skills and means. So Allah is talking about those who spend from what He has
provided them. They spend in secret too and openly too. Allah says that those
are people who have made a transaction which shall never perish; a business or
trade that will never fail. And its advantages will continue all the time. We
know that in the world there are many businesses that prosper and flourish and
develop but after a while, if not in the lifetime of a person, but in the lifetime
of his children, the business ends and is destroyed.
But here Allah mentions
such a business which never ends, never fails, i.e. a never-ending prosperous
business. In that subject too, like I explained before, I told you that [like
in this verse] spending in the path of Allah has been linked to other subjects.
Otherwise, the act to just spend in itself is without any importance. There are
people who sometimes give importance to people who have money and who can spend
and they don’t give any importance to a person who does not have any money and
who cannot spend.
In the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, we do not make any difference between the rich and the poor. The difference is in Taqwa only. If a poor person who is Muttaqi gives a little something [to the Jamaat – in the way of Allah], then we honour him for this financial sacrifice, even if it be little. There should not also manifest the feeling and thought that if the rich are spending, then we should not give them any importance. Importance should be given to both the rich and the poor. They both are making efforts according to their means to give in the path of Allah.
The Houses of Allah: Part 5
Donation of a Mosque
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “When a man dies, his
actions come to an end except for three things: ‘Continuous Charity (Sadaqah
Jariyah), knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for
him’.” (Muslim)
The greatest example of Sadaqah Jariyah is the
construction of a Mosque in the name of the deceased, the reward of which he or
she will get in the Hereafter.
Uthman ibn Affan (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “Whoever builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him a house like it in Paradise.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
The Houses of Allah- 3
Houses in the vicinity of the Mosque
When there is a Mosque in the neighbourhood or vicinity of one’s house, it is incumbent for the residents to discharge their obligatory Salat in the Mosque, unless there is a clash of Aqeedah, and the people responsible for the caretaking of the Mosque do not allow Muslims who are not from their own Jamaat (faction in Islam) to perform prayer in their Mosque. But if there are no restrictions, and all Mussallis (Worshippers) are welcomed for prayer – as it should be – as Islam is the Way of Life of all Muslims, and its Mosques are for all Muslims as they are the Houses of Allah, thus, it is not permissible for those who live near those Mosques to bypass the Mosque, even to go to another Mosque to perform their Salat (prayer). That indeed is the Right (Haqq) of the Mosque, regardless of the people’s grievances and grudges.
21) Neglecting to sit in the Iftirash or Tawarruk position in the prayers during the last Tashahhud [i.e. sitting position].
It is praiseworthy to take Iftirash or Tawarruk position only in the last sitting position of prayer, i.e. during the last Tashahhud. So, what is Iftirash and what is Tawarruk ? How do we define them? The Iftirash position is to place the left foot on its side and sitting on it; and keeping the right foot vertical while resting on the bottom of the toes turning them towards the Qibla.
The Tawarruk position is when a person sits with the left posterior on the ground; his right foot placed vertically with toes pointing towards the qibla; and the left foot on its side emerging from under the right foot.
Concerning the Tawarruk position, Hazrat Abu Humayd al-Sa’idi (ra) narrated: “I
have preserved for you the Prophet’s (pbuh) prayer; I saw him… when he would
sit from two Rak’at he would sit on his left foot and raise his right. When he
sat in the final Rak’ah, he would bring forth his left foot [from under the
shin, i.e. the front of the leg below the knee], raise the other, and sit on
his posterior.” (Bukhari)
Following the Hanafi School of thoughts, we Ahmadi Muslims follow the Iftirash position in the sitting position, especially the final one as the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has sat in the Iftirash position in all sitting positions of his prayers for the greater part of his life. Even Imam Tirmidhi has stated this to be the practice of the majority of scholars. As for the few times the Messenger (pbuh) did practice Tawarruk - as some narrations do state - it was either due to weakness and not being able to sit in Iftirash position in the latter part of his life, or it was merely to show to his Companions [Sahaba] that it was permissible for them to do so.
8)
Reluctance to stand in the front line in the congregational prayer.
The
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “If the people knew what (reward) is in the
call (Adhan) and the first row (in congregational prayers), and they
found no other way to get that except drawing lots, then they would draw lots.”
(Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) also said: “If anyone goes out from his house after performing ablution for saying the prescribed prayer in congregation (in the mosque), his reward will be like that of one who goes for Hajj pilgrimage after wearing Ihram (i.e. the two pieces of sheet worn by the Hajj pilgrims).” (Abu Dawud)
In other words it is to believe in Allah and in His Messenger Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), and not associating anybody or anything else in the worship of Allah, to give Allah an exclusive and pure worship, and not worshipping even Muhammad (pbuh) who is only a Messenger of God and not a god or partner along with Allah. It is about believing firmly in the unicity of Allah and submitting oneself completely to His will.
It is only after one has established himself firmly in the Shahada that one establishes himself in prayer, as a sign of the very submission which he proclaimed, not only openly but inwardly, with all his intellectual faculties as well as his inner consciousness which we usually coined as the mind, as well as with his heart and soul. These three mind, heart and soul intertwined each other in nearly similar significance as these three concerns the spiritual side of the believer, which is beyond his body and carnal passions. If these three as well as his body are regulated in the correct way, then the submission to Allah comes naturally without any clash with external or even internal passions which may ruin his bond with Allah. To maintain his body and soul in harmony with Islam, Salat is thus very important. And the establishing of Salat in the correct way will assure the believer success in this world and the Hereafter.
“Surely I, Ever I, am Allah; there is no god except I; so worship Me, and Aqimus-Salah (establish prayer) for My remembrance.” (Taha 20: 15)
Moreover, Allah (twt) commands the correct performance of Salah.
Sometimes a believer’s Salah may seem empty of any pleasure or deep
feeling of attachment with Allah, but with Sabr (patience) and
perseverance, he will get the perfume of pleasure in his Salat (prayers).
He may face deep difficulties and not see any issue, he may pray without
putting any real trust in Allah. But what does Allah say?
Allah (twt) states in the Holy Quran: “O you who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and
prayer. Surely Allah is with the steadfast.” (Al-Baqara 2: 154)
The Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is quoted to have said: “Prayer is a light, charity is proof, and patience is illumination.” (Muslim)
O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was
prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil).
(Al-Baqara 2: 184)
Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, we have entered the blessed month of Ramadan, and
today I continue the second part of my Friday sermon that I started last
Friday.
Hadith:
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has said: “Fasting is a protection and a powerful
fortress.” (Ahmad, Baihaqi).
As I have mentioned last week, the month of Ramadan is a month wherein a Mumin (believer) must make a lot of sacrifice. The sacrifice he has to make is that he has to get up early in the morning to do the Salaat-ul-Tahajjud and take the Sehri. In my last week’s sermon I quoted this Hadith which shows the importance of Sehri. I also said that Roza [fasting] keeps us healthy. Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Keep the fast and you will stay healthy.” (Tibrani).
Qur’anic Commandments- 5
Do you not see that all those who are in the heavens and the earth praise God, as do the birds with wings outstretched? Each knows his own mode of prayer and glorification: Allah has full knowledge of all that they do. To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah shall all things return. (24:42)
Say,
‘My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for
Allah, the Lord of the worlds. (6:163)
Worship of the Divine through observance
of Prayer is among the primary markers of faith in Islam. Like all religions that prescribed certain rites of sacrifice and soulful worship in their
tenets, Islam validates the significance of formal prayer in the quest for Divine countenance and communion through the teachings
and practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). The Holy Qur’an contains clear commandments
on formal Prayer (al-Salat) to be
performed at specified times every day, as exemplified in the Prophetic
traditions. Beyond the prescribed formal Prayer at five times a day, the Qur’an
also contains illuminating guidance on supererogatory prayers (Tahajjud); Divine remembrance (Zikrullah), supplications and other invocations
(Duah) in the solitude of the
worshipper.
Designed to protect people from the impurity of evil impulses, and to elevate the human souls to a station of Divine consciousness in their everyday affairs, the cycle of Prayer offers a sense of perspective on the higher truths and priorities of life, and the vital duty to seize our moment in worshipful service of God in this fleeting world. Indeed, true Muslims are people who are devoted to the Prayers; those who remain constant and steadfast in their Prayers. Reproduced below are certain Qur’anic prescriptions on Salat- including on the supererogatory Tahajjud prayers offered by true devotees in the stillness of the night in the quest for Divine grace and pleasure:
‘O my dear son! observe Prayer, and enjoin good, and forbid evil, and endure patiently whatever may befall you. Surely, this is a matter of high resolve. (31:18)
What is Salaat?
“Secure your Salaat [God will guarantee your protection]. Observe the middle prayer strictly, and stand before Allah in submission.” (Al-Baqara, 2: 239)
The etymological and semantic approach teaches us that, in the context of the aforementioned verse, it is grafted on the primary meaning of Haafizuu (protect, secure or rigorously observe), the idea of constancy and of fighting against an opposing force in the dynamic of protection.
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, second caliph of the Ahmadiyya Movement and Musleh Ma’ud (ra), has explicitly evoked the game of reciprocity to indicate that protecting (observing) the Salaat would be equivalent to benefiting in return of the protective umbrella of the Salaat.
“Innas-Salaata tan-haa ‘anil-fahshaaa-’i wal-munkar” [The Salaat prevents turpitude and reprehensible acts] and “Wasta-’iinuu bis-Sabri was-Salaah” [And seek help in steadfastness and prayer] state and delve into the same subject. In other words, all the characteristics inherent in Salaat, as mentioned in the Holy Quran, will work together to ensure your protection forever. This gives an even larger dimension to the act of Salaat.
Regarding the Middle Salaat [Salaat-ul-Wustaa], the opinions of commentators on the Holy Quran vary depending on the subjective criteria they set for themselves. For some, chronologically speaking, the Salaat-ul-Asr would be the Middle Salaat. For others, in terms of importance, it would be more the Salaat-ul-Tahajjud.
With the advent of a new era of Divine Manifestation and my coming as a Reviver of Faith, it is my duty to clear up with the help of Allah the confused points that divide the Ummah.