‘Ummah’: The Signs of Decline

  

Religious communities emerged in history against the backdrop of the advent of Divinely-raised messengers and prophets. These elects of God invariably stood for true values of life; with ethically-sound teachings and wisdom of pure conduct, they guided their peoples to the light of Divine guidance. Indeed, the good example of the holy men remains among the people for a period of time. Then, in the ebb and flow of time and history, we see that as the memory of the Prophet recedes and become distant from the generations born later, the teachings of the Faith will be obscured, misunderstood, or distorted by lesser men either out of personal desires, or otherwise corrupted through encounter with other nations and their idolatrous ways.  

 

Based on the spiritual history of the rise and fall of nations, Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) indicated to his companions and followers the Clear Signs that characterized the nations that were in terminal illness before their Final Fall: the spread of immorality, unjust enrichment, the breaking of Covenants and agreements, tyranny and persecution, sectarianism and strife, etc. According to several traditions emanating from the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa), Muslim Ummah will also undergo profound changes in the course of time and encounter different challenges and trials as the world approaches the End Times. Reproduced below are a number of Prophetic Traditions [Ahadith] that foretells about the decline in Faith and loss of morality and ethics in the End Times:

A Message to Disciples

 

‘These are the verses of the wise Scripture, [with] guidance and mercy for those who do good, who keep up the prayer, pay the prescribed alms, and are certain of the Hereafter: these are rightly guided by their Lord, and it is they who will prosper.’ (31:3-7)

 

‘Those who pray humbly, who shun idle talk, who pay the prescribed alms, who guard their chastity except with their spouses…who are faithful to their trusts and pledges and who keep up their prayers, will rightly be given Paradise as their own, there to remain.’   23: (2-12) 

 

When you follow the Mujaddid [Reformer of the Faith] of your times, accept the revelations and guidance he brings in from the Divine waters, and act upon the same with a sincere heart, you become a true Muslim: you can attain righteousness and become virtuous in life. Indeed, Allah (swt) is with the virtuous; a Divine Elect [Khalifatullah Al Mahdi ] guides us on the straight path or on ways that lead to good and to Divine Succour. When we follow the Muhyiuddin among us with sincerity, and we strive with our very souls against Shaytan; against our own lower selves; we will be guided to Almighty Allah (swt). 

 

In recent messages to all disciples in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, including women members of the Jamaat around the world, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius underscores the significance of reforming moral and spiritual standards within so as to collectively rise as a community standing up for the values of true Faith with a pious disposition. Hazrat Saheb's sincere advices when followed by persons with a pure heart can lead to incremental benefits, and overall advancement, whatever be the life situations, both individually and as a community, Insha Allah. 

Hazrat Ibrahim: An 'Ummah'

 

 إِنَّ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةٗ قَانِتٗا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفٗا وَلَمۡ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ

 

Indeed Ibrahim was a whole community by himself, obedient to Allah, exclusively devoted to Him. And he was never one of those who associated others with Allah in His Worship. (An-Nahl 16: 121)

Hazrat Ibrahim (as) – Abraham – is considered to be a community (Ummah) and a universe by himself. The question that arises is why Hazrat Ibrahim (as) was granted the title of ‘Ummah’?

Ibrahim (Abraham) was an Ummah i.e. a leader having all the good, righteous qualities of a nation, obedient to Allah, Hanif i.e. being someone who worshipped none but Allah and he was not one of the polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, and those who joined partners – false gods – with Allah.

Arab 'Winter' and the Euro 'Spring'

 

The Arab Spring is a term used to tag the wave of protests and civil unrest that swept the Arab world back in December 2010 when a street vendor in Tunisia, Mohammad Bouazizi set himself on fire when the police came to seize his vegetable stall after his failure in obtaining a permit to exercise. He furthermore faced harassment and humiliation by a municipal officer and her assistants.

 

He unfortunately set himself on fire as an open defiance against the autocratic regime, and this act of his was hailed by the West as a mighty sacrifice for democracy in the Arab world and he and those who followed his example to self-immolate themselves - nearly a dozen of them in Egypt, Algeria and Mauritania – were granted such praiseworthy titles such as “heroic martyrs of a new North African and Middle Eastern revolution”. This was published in the New York Times, in the article “How a single match can ignite a Revolution” published on 21 January 2011 by Robert F. Worth.

 

This act which the world deemed as a sacrifice for democracy is in fact suicide which is highly condemnable in Islam. No matter how hard a situation may come upon man, he has no right to take the life which does not belong to him. This act of suicide may be deemed by the West as a heroic act but unfortunately it is not so! Islam encourages revenge as per the same degree of torture that one undergoes, reaffirming the Mosaic Law “an eye for an eye” but being more just and lenient in its application. Islam is the Best Model, the Middle Way, between the extreme and the laissez-faire. The leaders who don’t follow the tenets of Islam while proclaiming themselves as Muslim States are accountable in the worldly court of justice as well as the Divine Court of Justice, but no Muslim – I clear and firmly state – NO MUSLIM SHOULD EVER TAKE HIS OWN LIFE! No matter how hard a situation gets, Allah has forbidden His servant to take this satanic step towards self-destruction.

Youth and the Future of Ummah

In his Friday Sermon of 11 December 2009, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius spoke on the role of the youth in shaping the nation. As the future of a community critically depends upon the emotional, intellectual and spiritual culture of  its youth; Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) underscores in this discourse the importance of education and proper training of the youth in the true values of life. Against the backdrop of the materialist cultures of our societies failing its youths, Hazrat Saheb (aba) exhorts the young Muslims to turn to the values of Deen-i-Islam, and correct their elders in clearing theological misconceptions and deviant social practices that compromise an ethical Islamic social life. 

Drawing inspiration from the Abdals [great men of faith in the past], the young Muslims could inculcate within themselves the spirit of good conduct and righteousness in their every day life. Building a spirit of selflessness and service to others even at the cost of one's own self; gaining self control by practicing Divine commands such as offering Tahajjud, and offering regular Salaat at the prescribed timings; being grateful to God by sharing the benefits of one's resources and skills with others in need; abstaining from sins and avoiding evil pathways- Hazrat Saheb (aba) maps deep insights on spiritual values that can empower the youth against all destructive temptations in our times.  

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

               وَإِذَا بَلَغَ الْأَطْفَالُ مِنكُمُ الْحُلُمَ فَلْيَسْتَأْذِنُوا   

‘And when the children among you have attained to puberty...’ 

[The Holy Qur’an, (24: 60)].  

 

Youth is a very important step in the life of man. It is a stage where his intelligence is strengthened and where he is in a better position to understand practical life through reflection and analysis. If in his youth a person does not acquire a good formation, then he will waste his youth in vain and bad things, and this will put him in a dangerous situation, for his life will take a wrong turn (direction). But if in his prime youth the person prepares himself to follow the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and does the required preparation to take up his own responsibilities as they should be taken, it is then that he will be able to convert a dead nation into an alive one, through his good conduct and his enthusiasm to work — and this dedication of his become a model for others to follow.

The Rope of Allah- 2

'And hold firmly to the rope of Allah and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favour upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you - by His grace - became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be (rightly) guided.' (Al-e-Imran, 3: 104)

 

This verse of the Quran calls you every time. And you will not be able to achieve this without passing through Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). That is why in the Quran and also in the Hadiths, more instructions are given to have Muhabbat (love) for Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). And after that, the subject that comes is that there needs to be a link between the two [for one another]. This is not a separate matter. They are branches of one central subject. As you progress further in this matter, there are still many open paths and many beautiful views ahead. It is like a tree that has its roots well planted in the earth and its branches spread out and each branch shows its own beauty, its own greenery. But despite showing their beauty separately, they are always part of the same tree. And they cannot be separated from their tree. It is exactly the same for the Ummah of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). And this is how the Ummah is spread. It blooms and propagates and develops. And all of us together - all Muslims - we are branches of one single being. I try to clarify this subject in reference to the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, the Jamaat that Allah has given me to bring this unity, to re-establish this Islam. Put in your mind that you are the only beings that are part of me. So: “O green branches of my own being! I am the tree that regained life after receiving water and food from Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). And I saw a new spring. O people of the Jamaat who are connected with me, you are the flourishing branches of my tree.”

'Ummah': The Rope of Allah

   

'And hold firmly to the rope of Allah and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favour upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you - by His grace - became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be (rightly) guided.' (Al-e-Imran, 3: 104)

Take hold of the rope of Allah together as one united body. Not one by one, No! But take hold of it collectively. In fact, this refers to the verse of the Quran that I have just recited before you and which I have developed previously in many of my sermons, speeches and books.

 

Now I want to draw special attention to what is said in the Quran, whereby Allah does not mention “Catch or Hold” the rope, but rather says “Grip firmly to/ Hold fast to” the rope collectively. This is the answer to many people who say, ‘We are good Muslims, we have firmly grasped the Quran, we are doing everything that Allah has told us to do and we are not doing anything that Allah has forbidden us to do and we are following every teaching, so why is the need for a community, why do we need to attach ourselves with a Jamaat (as one Community of Believers)?’

 

In one word, the Quran gives the answer. Allah says that it is not enough for you to lay down your hand to touch and hold the Quran individually. You need to hold this book collectively, as a Jamaat, so that the Oneness of Allah is manifested in this world as well. Just like Allah is One, thus all the people who believe in Him should also become One (united). I am dealing with this subject in reference to Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), (for all of you) to put the Quran into practice directly, where it will be possible only when a person gains knowledge of the Quran directly. In order to do everything that the Quran and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) have commanded us to do and to refrain from what they have forbidden us to do, it is necessary to have a deep knowledge of the Quran. We need to have this deep knowledge to put those teachings into practice in the way that Allah wants.

The Importance of 'Jumu'ah'

 

In his Friday Sermon of 05 August 2022 ~ 06 Muharram 1444 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius underscores the importance of Jumu’ah in Muslim spiritual and social life.  Drawing upon Qur’anic commandments and Prophetic traditions and the devotional practice of early Muslims, Hazrat Muhyiuddin (aba), in this discourse, traces out the spiritual philosophy and history of Jumu’ah as a veritable institution of Islam.  

Communities before the advent of Islam evolved their own special days of devotion. It was Allah (swt) Who chose Friday for the Muslim Ummah as a day of great blessings: to enable the community of believers to prioritize the call of God to prayer over material pursuits; to foster and develop solidarity and brotherhood in society; a time to come together as a devotional community. Islamic teachings exhort believers to pay attention to this special opportunity of weekly congregational prayer as an occasion to strive to please Allah (swt) and to invoke His blessings on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), and his family and pure companions. Hence, neglect and laziness around participation in Jumu’ah prayer and sermon is a serious matter that the faithful needs to be conscious of, notes Hazrat Saheb (aba).

Speaking about the larger message of Surah Al Jumu’ah, Hazrat Khalifatullah Al Mahdi (aba) notes the dynamics of decline and renewal in the spiritual world. When people ignore Divine commandments in a phase of time and Imaan flies away from amongst them to the Pleiades, it is the Sunnat Allah to raise some purified individuals to bring it back and establish the spiritual way.  These chosen servants of God are raised in the mantle of the Prophets of the past.  As high representatives of Divine Trust on earth, these sages are devoted to the Pure Way- the true living heirs of the Holy Prophet (sa). Hence, in this era of spiritual neglect, Allah (swt) has raised His Khalifatullah (aba) to renew the days of the Prophet and his spiritual practice as a grand blessing for those who believe and follow guidance, Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah.  

Illnesses of the 'Ummah'- 4

  

SOLUTIONS

 

As I have already clearly explained before, the sickness that has entered the Muslim Body [Community] these days has been caused by the disappearance of the true value of Islam from our hearts. As a result, the true feelings and love for Islam have died within us and our belief in Islam has disappeared.

 

Certainly, when the “source” has become dry, the paths of good deeds, virtues and excellent qualities which sprung from this source have disappeared. This is exactly what we see today. I have already explained this in detail and made it clear that the only way to rebuild this source and keep it flowing with the deeds of Deen which are profitable is this work which is called Dawa/Tabligh, which we can consider really and truly like the Ruh (soul) of Islam. As long as we do not revive this work, we will not be able to accomplish anything good in this temporal life because no nation, no people can know glory without having excellent qualities and high characters that only Islam can produce.

 

It is our duty as soon as possible to revive this work of Tabligh which is indeed obligatory. Only then can we have hope of bringing the true Deen of Islam to life in the Muslim community. Only by this means can we truly recognize and understand Allah (twt) and His Beloved Prophet (pbuh), and thereafter submit to their commands and desires [i.e., the commands of Allah and of His Messenger (pbuh)].

 

To succeed in doing this, we need to adopt the exact methods and means which Nabi Kareem Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) used and which he put into practice to transform the Arabs (from the period of ignorance to Islam). Allah (twt) says in the Holy Quran: “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow...” (Al-Ahzab, 33: 22)

Illnesses of the 'Ummah'- 3

 

In his Friday Sermon of 17 June 2022 ~16 Dhul Qaddah 1443 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius continues the larger reflections on the spiritual maladies that afflict the Muslim psyche today: the mental attitudes and emotional roadblocks that prevent them from engaging with energy, vigour, enthusiasm and enterprise in the larger goals of Dawah (preaching and propagating Islam).  In this discourse, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) points out how to think through the confusing maze of Muslim renewal in this complicated era.  

As Hazrat Saheb (aba) alludes in the discourse, based on Qur'anic principles and Prophetic practices, the Sahaba-e-Kiram, the pure Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Tabi'un, the pious generations that followed them became living exemplars of the Faith in the early days of Islam, and wherever they went to preach the message of Tawheed, people en masse abandoned their pagan notions and embraced the Light of Islam in their midst. As time went by, and the original spirit of faith ebbed away; decadence and degradation have returned to the societies that were once 'Muslim'. And today, in the fifteenth century after the Holy Prophet (sa), the Muslims in general seem to be bereft of the true essence of Islamic teachings in their everyday lives. Even worse, far from upholding the spirit of Tawheed as Muslims, many among them have turned into tomb-worshippers; instead of praying God, they invoke the intercession of long-dead saints, just like the idol-worshippers performing rituals before the lords beside Allah (swt), [God forbid].   

Against this dismal contemporary scenario of gross misunderstandings and corrupt religious practices, reclaiming the true teachings along with its progressive potential and transformative spirit is the larger responsibility of the lovers of Allah (swt), including common followers of the Faith today. Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) notes that this task can only be achieved through sustained work involving every segment of the Muslim society, and not by the Ulama and others working in silos. Promoting goodness of every kind and forbidding the bad from spreading in society are the real tasks of everyone at their own levels- indeed, duties and responsibilities are attached to every 'Muslim'- the one who has surrendered his God-gifted free will and submitted his everything to the Divine commandments. Moreover, Tabligh, or striving in God's cause by communicating Divine message to people also entail the willingness to withstand hostilities and insults at the hands of unfair critics and enemies of the Faith, like the Prophets in the past has shown: with patience and fortitude, they preached and lived the message of God against all odds, and the strength of their conviction and the beauty of their character changed hearts and they became victorious in the battlefield of Dawah. It is by following in the footsteps of true lovers of the Faith and in adopting their strategies and steps of engagement with the people that we can make progress in the path of Dawah, indicates Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) in this discourse.  

Illnesses of the 'Ummah'- 2

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, Allah has given me the Tawfeeq to continue my Friday Sermon on the illnesses which are affecting Islam nowadays, on their causes and the solutions which can be brought forward to trigger a change in the present situation. Insha-Allah, I will come on this subject, step by step.

 

Like I cited before you last Friday; Allah says in the Quran: “Those of the Children of Israel who went astray were cursed by the tongue of David, and of Jesus, son of Mary. That was because they rebelled and used to transgress. They used not to forbid one another any malfeasance that they performed. Miserable indeed was whatever they were performing!” (Al-Maida 5: 79-80)

 

The Hadiths of our beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) give more details about these Quranic verses and shed more light [i.e. understanding] on them:

 

Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “The first defect (in religion) which affected the Children of Israel in the way that man would meet another and say to him: ‘Fear Allah and abstain from what you are doing, for this is not lawful for you.’ Then he would meet him the next day and find no change in him, but this would not prevent him from eating with him, drinking with him and sitting in his assemblies. When it came to this, Allah led their hearts into evil ways on account of their association with others.”

Illnesses of the 'Ummah'- 1

 

In his Friday Sermon of 03 June 2022~ 02 Dhul Qaddah 1443 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius profoundly examines the spiritual health of the Muslim Ummah today. Whereas early Islam produced men and women of outstanding ability, extraordinary drive and exemplary personal initiative, willing to sacrifice their all for the progress of their deeply held convictions, in the service of their Faith and thereby brought victory, grandeur and power which lasted for many centuries altogether; the Ummah today faces pitiable fortunes and grim conditions. It appears as though  the original spirit and dynamism of the Faith is missing from the conscience and character of the Muslims that made them the world-beaters. Contrasting the Muslim grandeur of the past with its dismal fortunes in our times, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) notes in the discourse: ‘A people who had brought strength and stability, prosperity, peace and honour to the whole world, now you find them demoralized, completely asleep, empty and helpless. People who once taught moral lessons and good conduct to the whole world are themselves lacking these qualities today.’

Islam preserved and perfected in itself the true purpose of all religions which preceded it. By destroying the impurity of idolatry and restoring the sublime faith in the Lord of mankind, Islam helped to mould purified and refined humans who strived hard to reflect Divine attributes in their way of being, doing and living through the centuries. Indeed, like the communities who were bestowed Divine Law in the past, leading the world on spiritual purification was the heavy responsibility cast on the shoulders of the Muslim Ummah by the Creator of the Universe through His best Prophet, the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (sa). Muslims who walked in the path of God became beneficiaries of Divine bounties as they were helped and assisted by God and His angels in their strivings. Indeed, the preservation of the true Faith and real spirituality is a Divine Promise engraved upon the Holy Qur’an by Allah the Almighty Himself.

 

At a time when severe misfortunes have engulfed the Ummah, and sectarian disputes and violence destroy social peace in several lands, Muslims ought to recognize the extraordinary magnitude of the task in front of them in the service of their noble Faith: of preserving the good legacy and fair names of the pious ancestors- by repossessing and displaying the solid Imaan (faith of the early Muslims)- in their everyday lives; by being a force for good- enjoining good and forbidding evil in their own communities wherever they are, Insha Allah, Aameen.   

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

Inner Peace in A Troubled World

The State of Man in Our Times

The world is developing at breakneck speed. It is constantly modernizing, becoming smaller and less life-size, becoming closer to people like a round table where the whole world can reunite and communicate and share their ideas and lives. But with the race for power and wealth, the rich are getting richer. The poor are getting poorer. And the world continues to exist until the One Creator decides otherwise.

Rich or poor, everyone tries to live in their own way. But how many of us ponder over what health, recreation, food, and tranquillity cost to the inhabitants of a country? But above all, how much of their precious time do they devote in remembrance of the Creator through prayer. The rich have almost no problem in living their lives quietly. The poor, on the other hand, have to work harder to try to make ends meet. This class of population of any country will always remain in poverty with its multiple problems - famine, sickness, housing, unemployment.

However, people, whatever their situation, live. They try to live. Maybe some people want death because they are crushed by poverty and misery. But life or death does not depend on us. It is the exclusive prerogative of Allah Ta’ala.

But then why so much worries, so many misfortunes? ... Does Allah Ta’ala, the Unique Creator, Who knows and controls everything, not love us? Does He not appreciate our way of life, our way of doing things? Not really, according to a Hadith of our beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). It is rather that we humans, especially those of the Ummah forget too quickly our obligations to the Creator. So everything turns upside down. When the situation changes, life becomes destabilized. Stress, anxiety, anger, worry, doubt take place.

A World of Dizzying Inequality 

So why the vast majority of the world’s population lives in poverty and a very small percentage, being extremely rich controls everything in this temporal world? Some who feel that they are so powerful because of their fortune, think they are half-gods. But let it be clear. Rich or poor we always live in the same fear, the same anguish, the same anxiety.

We live today in the 21^st century, a time of confusion where materialism (i.e. people with materialistic minds) prevails everywhere, including within the Ummah. Material comfort is only useful to us here on earth. What have we prepared for the afterlife? Are we preparing enough for it? Here on earth, it is total confusion leading to wounded hearts, broken with the weakened soul.

We only have to follow the medical news - to get information about the world of medicines (pharmaceutical drugs). Scientists only produce drugs of all kinds to combat stress - the disease of the modern world, to combat anxiety, anger, nervousness, etc. The medications prescribed which are used in high doses sometimes have side effects. The situation gets complicated. Whether he is rich or poor, whether he gets treatment at the private clinic or the public hospital, the patient does not find the desired happiness or if he gets it, it is very precarious. He then turn to diabolical, satanic treatments that only worsen the situation, while there is only an effective remedy, very effective indeed, freely offered but neglected, forgotten, cast aside: a CALL TO ALLAH TA’ALA.

Turn to Your Creator

Yes, turn to HIM, The Saviour, The Healer, The Protector, The Merciful. He offers all the remedies. Without fees. Without an appointment. He only asks us one thing: to think of HIM at all times. He is here to listen to us. All we sick people have to do is to have unreserved faith and piety. Believe in Him, in His remedies, in His miracles. Are we ready for this?