Muharram: New Islamic Year Begins

Naya Saal Mubarak!

The Islamic calendar begins with Muharram, which is considered sacred a month. Muslims today do not take into account the value of our Islamic year. The majority of them do not even know when our Islamic year begins. 

Allah (swt) says in the Quran: 

Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve (lunar) months in the register of Allah (from) the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred (that is to say, Dhul-Qaddah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab): That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. (9: 36)

Allah (swt) has given us a sacred month and year based on the Islamic calendar but unfortunately a great number of Muslims - especially here in Mauritius - do not take this into consideration, whereas on the other hand they take into great consideration the Gregorian and Christian calendar, celebrated at the end of December. So in preparation for the Gregorian year, they go shopping, and moreover, those working as officers in the public sector (Government servants) and also the private sector - hotels, factories etc. - organize parties and also receive year-end bonuses (called also, “13^th or even 14^th months” – that is, a surplus in salary amounting more than the 12-month salary scale) to celebrate the new year.

It is during this time of year (end of year - December) that we see a lot of waste. People spend their money and their all their bonuses in firecrackers, fireworks, liquor, gifts and the celebration continues until New Year’s Eve whereby many families today prefer to spend these days in hotels or to meet in a place where food - especially the barbecue - and several alcoholic beverages are available in large quantities. As for alcoholic drinks, it is true that the vast majority of Muslims do not consume this poison, but this custom does exist for people of other religious communities. For them, they must have an alcoholic drink because without it their New Year’s Eve won’t be complete! So you can imagine how much money is wasted in the weeks preceding the end of the year and the beginning of the following year - especially on the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd days of the first month (January) of the New Year, even going until the 6^th of January.

People do not realize that they must make savings. They wrongly spend their money in vain things such as in parties and preparations of the New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, Muslims also have entered into the same circle as these people. They imitate them and their customs. There are many of them who do not even perform their Tahajjud prayers and even the Fajr prayer at the prescribed time. They are too busy partying with family and friends!

Reform People through Good Morals

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, Allah (swt) has given me the Tawfiq again to continue the second part of my sermon which I started last Friday.

So, I advise all members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam around the world (countries where the Jamaat has been established) and this is also an advice to all Muslims and Ahmadis also in particular, that when you hear about morality, and topics dealing on excellent behaviour, you must not think that all people will have got (or hear about) the message, and will have made their own reform. On the contrary, there are certain moral values ​​that the Jamaat must absolutely protect. And do not stay indifferent when you see a member of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam do something bad.

There are some people of the Jamaat, who when they talk with other people who do not form part of our Jamaat - especially in my absence - even manage to exceed all limits. They endlessly talk about many things - that are not necessarily based on truth - and this can put the Messenger of Allah in very difficult situations and then these other people come to believe in their words. This is actually a very serious thing and which spreads a bad smell and the smell can spread everywhere, and even manages to come on the Jamaat and the Messenger of Allah without him (this humble self) aware of what these people have spread and then it becomes an uncontrollable rumour that is not based on truth, which gets worse and worse and then pollutes the entire ocean.

Certainly all the prophets have experienced such situations. If you happen to find someone of Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam committing an action that can cause him and his family to be thrown in the fire, therefore if you find this and you do nothing, and you sleep in peace or you show yourself indifferent, then it will mean that there is weakness in your faith (Iman). If it’s like that, then it means that you have not understood the decree of Allah, and why He removed you from the other side (the other Jamaat) and placed you among the first who recognized His Chosen Messenger of this century. 

(Keep in mind) You have not only recognized the Messenger but you form part of the Jamaat of Allah and thus, who is luckier than you who are in the Divine Manifestation? Certainly it will be engraved in the history one day, where our future generations will research about you and you shall be the most honoured before our Creator (Allah) because you recognized His Messenger with whom He has sent a Jamaat and multiple divine manifestations. So it is us whom Allah has honoured with the task to revive the true teachings of Islam that have been violated and trampled under the feet of so-called Mullahs.

Living Faith: Bond with People

“And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, 

(Saying), 

'We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. 

We wish not from you reward or gratitude’.” (76: 9-10)

After the worship (Ibaadat) of Allah, the Quran has put much emphasis also on ‘Khidmat Khalq’, that is, Service to Humanity. Verily, these two (that is to say, the worship of Allah and love for humanity) form part of religion. Bear in mind that it’s not two different subjects, but they are actually two branches of the same tree. 

The more you understand the meaning of Ibaadat and the more you worship Allah, then automatically the more your relationship with humans also shall continue to strengthen. Therefore, these two branches grow together, side by side. It is not possible that a branch of worship (Ibaadat) of Allah grows and blooms, while the branch of relationship with humans becomes dry and leaves room for thorns, etc.

If ever it is like that, then your Ibaadat shall prove to be in vain. It also means that you have not even understood the true meaning of Ibaadat. It shall be therefore a deception on your part if you think you are trying to accomplish the Ibaadat of Allah, because the one who accomplishes Ibaadat of Allah, he has no other option than to establish good relationships with humans. So in this context Ibaadat help you a lot to develop and strengthen your relationships with humans. And this is a way to recognize a sincere Ibaadat. At least on the human level you can recognize it because you will certainly not perceive it at Allah’s level, from the standpoint of Allah. But certainly at the human level, you can easily recognize the sincere Ibaadat, and that recognition shall be possible through the exercise of excellent moral qualities. Moreover, the right treatment you do to Allah’s creatures, with the poor, with those who are in need are indeed signs to show that your Ibaadat are similarly being accepted by Allah.