‘Ad’iyah’: Prayers of the Righteous

Qur’an addresses the human soul’s abiding quest for Divine illumination and a good life by teaching enduring prayers from the lives of the Prophets and other Divine savants of the past. These sublime invocations deal with almost every phase of the human condition, invoking the Exalted Lord’s Grace and Mercy, Forgiveness and Compassion; bringing solace and hope to the bruised and the broken; strength and courage to the deeply vulnerable; giving protection to the devotee from stumbling on the journey of life. 

Reproduced below are certain Qur’anic supplications for developing a worshipful attitude to Allah Subhaanu wa Ta’ala, Whose Sovereignty and Control defines our life chances and Whose remembrance (Zikr) is the surest way for hearts to find peace and tranquility. 

‘My Lord, I take refuge with You from the goadings of the evil ones; I seek refuge with You, Lord, so that they may not come near me.’ (23: 98-99)

Lord, we believe in what You have revealed and we follow the messenger: record us among those who bear witness to the Truth. (3:54)

'Ghibbat': Part V

Surah Al-Hujurat: On 'Ghibbat'

Alhamdulillah, I continue on the same subject of my Friday Sermon on “Ghibbat” (backbiting) and the subjects connected with it, especially Muhabbat (love) for Allah, for the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and for the works of Deen-i-Islam (Way of Islam). And this is the 5^th Friday [5^th part on Surah Al-Hujurat - Ghibbat] , and I am going into details to make you all understand profoundly this subject.

Like I told you last Friday, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) had a direct connexion with Allah and this love came directly from Allah (swt). He did not have to struggle (wage Jihad) for it. But for common people, it becomes necessary that they struggle – make efforts – to acquire divine love as it is not an easy task to obtain Allah’s direct love as well as the love of the prophet (pbuh). And it is not also simple to establish, in connexion with this love, relations of love with people in general.

There should be efforts made to attain this goal and for this you you need to focus on [your] Muhabbat (love) and all defects therein and you need to make the necessary efforts to get rid of those weaknesses. To be able to do this, you need to have the feel and interest for it, and without this feel and interest, then there can be no love for Allah, and for the Messenger of Allah. If the feel itself is low, weak, then your love for the person whom you love also shall be little. This is a natural occurrence and many times, by neglecting this aspect/ subject, you stop looking for solutions for your internal, intrinsic problems. You think that despite making so much efforts to acquire the love of Allah, despite praying so hard (making duahs), you aren’t getting any taste/ feel and pleasure in your Salaat/ Namaz (i.e. the obligatory prayers) and in the performance of good deeds. You think that you are doing duahs, and yet your duahs are not being accepted.

A possible reason for this is that the feel itself [your feel for prayer etc.] has been ruined, and that is why all the time your mind wander and is attached to mundane pleasures which you deem correct. You feel attracted to all this; your love for mundane things has surpassed the love which you needed to have for Allah and thus this has not created the feel in you for attaining Allah’s love or to do good deeds.

When the feel is not right, then the love also shall not be right. It would only remain in the realm of imagination. It would remain only a claim only [words which are not translated into actions]. When your love for Allah does not come out from the profoundness of the heart, then your duahs also will not come out from the profoundness of your heart, and your Salaat also shall not have any feel, and you will hurry to finish your prayers in few seconds or minutes as if they were a burden for you.

So, to be able to succeed in acquiring that feeling in your prayers (Namaz) – deep love for prayers, to acquire that connexion with Allah – and to have your supplications (duahs) accepted, you need to bring about a great spiritual reform in you.

'Ghibbat': Part - IV

Passions of the human self are many: hatred, jealousy, ill- thinking, slander, backbiting, etc. As people, we are not immune to evil impulses of the self. And our vices can lead to negative consequences in our inter-personal and social settings. When hearts get divided, good relations fly away and the community cohesion shatters to pieces. When psychological ‘diseases’ spread among people, the larger ‘health’ of the community (‘Jamaat’) itself comes under a shadow. Hence, it's a moral imperative that we fight and resist these vices of the self in its varied manifestations in everyday life. 

In his Friday Sermon of 04 October 2019 ~ 05 Safar 1441 AH, Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim Saheb (atba) continues the fourth part of the discourse on ‘Ghibbat’ (backbiting). Exhorting members of the Jamaat to refrain from falling to the fatal tentacles of blame-games and other manifestations of hard love; Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) underscores the dignity and rights of all persons, if not all living beings in this universe. Explaining the profound compassion and goodwill the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) had maintained for all of humanity- fellow  members of faith included- as well as for the welfare of animals and birds in the natural environment, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) points to our duty to recognize and respect every person for who they are- the children of the same God we claim to worship. Instead of needlessly creating fractures among the believers through backbiting- especially against those who work in God’s cause in the same Jamaat; looking down upon fellow beings in arrogance; making insinuations; seeking to overthrow established frameworks of division of labour; incitement to rebellion, etc; persons would benefit by reflecting on prudent conduct in social relations. Listening to the Qur'an, we need to renounce Ghibbat (backbiting) and embrace Muhabbat (affection and good will for others),  if we are to become good humans, ideal souls- the likes of the friends of God on earth, reminds Hadhrat Saheb (atba).

Read the Friday Sermon Below:  

First of all, I thank Allah for giving me the Tawfiq to continue the subject of my Friday Sermon that I started three weeks ago. Last Friday in my sermon, I told you to create love for those working for the Nizam-e-Jamaat (those who are working for the cause of Allah).

If you have a true love for Allah, and little by little you have love for Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as), for the Khalifa (Caliph) of Allah of this era (the Khalifatullah), so naturally you will have love for those who are working for the Jamaat (Jamaat officials) too. It is not possible for anyone to be arrogant or indifferent to an organization that has a connection with the people I mentioned in my sermon last Friday. It is not possible that you speak against the Jamaat, and ridicule and blame those bearers of responsibility (that is, do the “Ghibbat” against them). It is not acceptable for you to backbite against with Jamaat (i.e., speak against the Jamaat). [This is a general statement which I am saying so that the members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and the other Muslims as well stay away from such evils. From what I have lived from my past experience, I would like to warn you against it so that the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam stays free from these vices. I am saying all this for your own good, and even if you don’t believe in this humble self, but take this message for your own good.]

'Ghibbat': Part-III

Continuing the series on the theme of 'Ghibbat'- the vice of speaking ill of others behind their backs-, Imam Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah  Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius, in his Friday Sermon of 27 September 2019 ~ 27 Muharram 1441 AH,  provides fascinating insights into the working of the human psyche in inter-personal and social settings. There are intimate connections between backbiting and hypocrisy:  whereas a hypocrite will indulge in backbiting; the habit of backbiting can lead the person who indulges in it away from the holy path of Faith. Secondly, while those who indulge in backbiting seek to defame or destroy reputations of others; this vice may have ironical consequences: if the backbiters challenge common sense and attack the reputation of a pious soul, the deception will boomerang on the backbiters, and they will lose face before the people. Likewise, severe backbiting by religious leaders and the priestly class often lead the people away from taking religion seriously. Indeed, people may lose interest in, and they may keep aloof from, the spiritual way altogether. Thirdly, 'Ghibbat' is also a manifestation of other vices in human nature: hatred and jealousy. 

During the early days of the Divine Manifestation, the Nizam-e-Jamaat officials in Mauritius brazenly and openly indulged in 'Ghibbat' and other vices against the recipient of Divine revelations among them as they did not comprehend the descent of Divine revelations on someone in their midst. Likewise, people who recognize the sign of God in the person of an Elect of Allah (atba) among them sometimes display great emotions of sincere respect and deep affection and it would be unfair to belittle their sentiments of respect by equating it with Shirk-like practices (God Forbid). Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) warns against talking ill about things one do not fully understand, and persons who speak that way need to be wary of the sin of backbiting and hypocrisy.  

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

Surah Al Hujurat: Ghibbat, Part III 

By the grace of Allah, I am hereby continuing the 3^rd part of my Friday Sermon on the subject of “Ghibbat” (backbiting), seeking the defects of others, spying, suspecting and doubting others, putting false allegations, blames etc. on them. Thus, this sermon continues…

Many times, by keeping hypocritical relations with your innocent brothers or sisters, you become a hypocrite. And when hypocrisy arises somewhere, then, there are also possibilities for hypocrisy to develop elsewhere also, in many places/ situations. When someone makes it a habit to adopt hypocrisy, it is “Ghibbat” which becomes a great factor that helps him to become accustomed to hypocrisy.

A hypocrite refers to someone who is accustomed to talking behind someone’s back, but in front of him, he says the complete opposite, and thus gives that person the impression that he was talking in his favour [when this is not the case at all]. In front of him, the hypocrite says lots of things which is very different from his true point of view and what he was really thinking. This is hypocrisy.

The Virtue of Selfless Service

Siraj Makin, the women’s collective of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, organized a One-Day Ta’lim Majlis (Divinity Study Programme) at the historic Noor'ul Islam Masjid Mathra, South Kerala, India on Wednesday, 11 September 2019~ 10 Muharram 1441 AH. The Ta’lim Majlis essentially sought to build upon the earlier initiatives of the Kerala Siraj Makin- the programmes of 09 February 2019, 19-20 April 2019 & 23 June 2019- for the benefit of its members so as to keep them aware of the Deeni Ta’lim, and to provide them an opportunity for collective learning. 

Addressing the ladies of the Jamaat in Kerala on the occasion, International Sadr of the Siraj Makin Hazrat Ummul Mu’mineen Fazli Amena Varsally Saheba of Mauritius spoke on the virtues of a true believer.  In this amazingly succinct message, Hazrat Saheba defines and illustrates the qualities and obligations of spiritual humans. Rooted firmly in God-consciousness and recognizing the inherent dignity of all fellow beings as God’s creatures, a true believer is to render public service benefiting one and all. Equally important is the ‘spirit’ in which such service is performed: “with a smiling face and a smiling heart, always humble and sincere, and very dedicated in what you do, all for the sake of Allah”, reminds Hazrat Saheba.  

Read the Text of the Speech Below: 

My dear daughters,

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu.

Alhamdulillah, on the occasion of your special Ta’alim Meeting, I would like to address you few words on the importance of Khidmat-e-Khalq, i.e. Service to Humanity, and some of our important duties as a believer.

Indeed, serving others selflessly is a great virtue. The pious female servants of Allah since the dawn of time have sacrificed a lot to help humanity. Indeed, we should follow their examples, and inculcate this virtue in our children so that they may follow the right path and follow these precepts.

We should never neglect our Muslim sisters, and always have good thoughts about them, and always think positive on them, and communicate with them in the best way which is pleasing to Allah.

I know that the women and girls of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam has a lot to offer, in terms of their time, religious works and dedication to the cause of Allah by helping the poor and needy, and to bridge the gap of distance between sisters of the same faith.

I have faith in you that you will show yourselves exemplary in the field of Khidmat-e-Khalq, and you will fulfill your duties as sisters by visiting your fellow sisters who are ill, those who need your help and assistance, and those who just need the comfort of your presence by their sides. A smile is precious. It is a dear form of charity. A smile, and a good word can resolve many issues in life. Indeed when there is a diamond in the heart, it shines on the face. This I firmly believe.

The life of a Muslim is filled with many ups and down, but he or she must trust in Allah so much so that nothing comes in his or her way towards the Lord of the Heavens and Earth. Your mission is to serve mankind, and serve the people of our own Jamaat and the rest of humanity, and you should do it, Insha-Allah with a smiling face and a smiling heart, always humble and sincere, and very dedicated in what you do, all for the sake of Allah.

Sahabiyat: Exemplary Role Models

Siraj Makin, the women’s collective of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, organized a One-Day Ta’lim Majlis (Divinity Study Programme) at the historic Noor'ul Islam Masjid Mathra, South Kerala, India on Wednesday, 11 September 2019~ 10 Muharram 1441 AH. The Ta’lim Majlis essentially sought to build upon the earlier initiatives of the Kerala Siraj Makin- the programmes of 09 February 2019, 19-20 April 2019 & 23 June 2019- for the benefit of its members so as to keep them aware of the Deeni Ta’lim, and to provide them an opportunity for collective learning.

Addressing the women believers on the occasion, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius underscored the significance of personal sacrifices and religious services for nourishing the spiritual landscape around us. The exemplary personal modesty, dignity and morality, as well as the trail-blazing footprints of early believers is certainly an important source to mine by sincere seekers in their individual and collective quest for God's approval in all that they engage in. Illustrating this point, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) calls attention to episodes from the glorious chapter of Islamic golden era: the personal piety and selfless religious services of the Sahabiyat- the women comrades of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). The  remarkable  lives and services of our pious elders from the early Muslim community continues to move the truly devout in the Divine Path in every generation of the Muslims. It is by seeking to honour the blessed memory  of their pious deeds and sacrifices through our own every day life that we can claim true kinship to Islamic values in this darkened era, points out Hadhrat Saheb (atba).

Read the Special Address Below:   

Dear Siraj Makin of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam of Kerala,

Assalamoualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuhu.

I wish to congratulate you for the initiative that you have again undertaken to organize this Taalim/ Tarbiyat meeting (11 September 2019) and to deepen your ties of sisterhood and to learn new lessons and teachings which will Insha-Allah benefit you your lives throughout.

Today I have chosen to address you on the following topic:

Exemplary Sacrifices of the Sahabiyat of the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa).

During the first period of Islam, Muslim women gave examples of sacrifices in the path of religion. These exemplary sacrifices will remain alive in the annals of Islam. These are, for you, examples to follow until the day of Qiyamah.

'Ghibbat': On Speaking Ill of Others- II

Surah Al-Hujurat: Ghibbat, Part-II

By His grace, Allah (swt) has given me the Tawfiq to continue on the same subject of my Friday Sermon which I started last week on “Ghibbat” (backbiting). It is indeed a very important subject for all members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and the rest of the Muslim Ummah in general.

When we analyse the different Hadiths on “Ghibbat”, we reach one same conclusion that “Ghibbat” occurs when you are aware of the flaw of someone or you spy to know more about him and his flaws and thereafter you spread the news everywhere with the intention of humiliating him in the eyes of other people. 

There are such kinds of people who seize the opportunity of big gatherings/ crowds to backbite someone, with the sole intention of humiliating him and to abase him further in the eyes of the people. Such people want to make everyone know about the flaws of that person and to make them have disgust for him and to go far away from him or even to be wary of him. When such things happen according to the plan of the backbiter, he derives a great pleasure in it. Such [evil-minded] people do not look at their own selves, their own flaws and they do not ponder over the time when they will have to account for all these misdeeds in front of their Creator. It is the jealousy and hatred which he conceals in his heart which makes him react and act stupidly like a malefactor/ bad guy. 

Now, there is another category of people who talks about the flaws of a person in his absence and he takes great pleasure in it. Whenever the person is absent, he heaps a lot of bad talks on him. When he finds himself surrounded by people who are ready to listen to him, he seizes the occasion to talk foolishly about the person he wants to humiliate just because that person is not present to refute him or to defend his honour.

So this is a great sin and Allah (swt) says in the Quran, giving this example: “Would any of you like to eat the flesh of their dead brother?” When one hears such a thing – about eating the flesh of someone, one gets a disgust against that. A believer (Mumin) develops a distaste for that, but on the other hand, an imbecile who harbours hatred in heart – like an ex-so-called Amir and his Mullahs in the Jamaat Ahmadiyya did at the beginning of the Divine Manifestation, from the year 2001 onwards on the pulpit (minbar) of the Noble Prophet (pbuh) – will not get any revulsion in doing such acts. On the contrary, such people ate our flesh with appetite, like cannibals.

'Ghibbat': The Vice of Speaking Ill of Others

O believers! Avoid many suspicions, [for] indeed, some suspicions are sinful. And do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of their dead brother? You would despise that! And fear Allah. Surely Allah is much prone to accept repentance, is Most Compassionate. (Al-Hujurat 49: 13)

I have chosen to address you today again – like in the past I made several sermons on this subject as well as on Surah Al-Hujurat – on “Ghibbat”.

This is another explanation that I am putting before you, because this Surah is a very important Surah wherein Allah (swt) is calling the attention of the community of believers against “Ghibbat”. Like you know, “Ghibbat” means backbiting, talking against a person, putting him in a bad light behind his back [i.e. when he is not present]. And Allah has condemned such practice in severe words and if the people understand them well, then they would never dare to backbite anybody. And the way in which Allah explains this subject profoundly, we get an idea why people get attracted to such a detestable practice.

Ghibbat” is such a vice which attracts you towards it and you find yourselves powerless [and get tempted to indulge in it]. When you read the Chapter Al-Hujurat profoundly, you are frightened by its contents [i.e. by what Allah has warned the believers against]. 

When I read and ponder profoundly over this chapter, I recall how the Jamaat Ahmadiyya with its ex-so-called Amir Amine Jowaheer and his Managing Committee at that time manifested such jealousy, doubts, and suspicions which developed into a great hatred towards me and this hatred went on to become bigger and bigger and it was spread to other people [even the small children] and thus their hearts became dark with these vices and this darkness was reflected on their faces. They used foul languages and detestable actions and sanctions against me. And basing himself on the report of the ex-so-called Amir in 2000, the late fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Movement – without listening to my version – took sanctions and on top of that sent curses on us and used other detestable and severe words against us. Indeed, he acted without Taqwa (righteousness/ piety).

And all these happened only because I cited some revelations which Allah had bestowed upon me. He sent such a curse as if he is making a Mubahila (duel of prayer) with me. As for the ex-so-called Amir, he took himself as a great hero and delivered Friday Sermons over Friday Sermons, eating our flesh [i.e. backbiting us] with appetite. There was so much backbiting, beginning the year 2001 and beyond. And such backbiting took place not only on Fridays in the sermons, but also in meetings in all branches, and such programmes as the Promised Messiah (Massih Ma’ud) Day, the Promised Reformer (Musleh Ma’ud) Day and Caliphate (Khilafat) Day. All these “Days” became Munir Azim Day. More talks on Munir Azim in the Ijtema of Khuddam, Ansar and the Jalsa Salana!

In a nutshell, there was no programme which was held in which there was not the mention of Munir Azim and his “so-called revelations”. This was for them indeed a most important topic to dwell on, for example, how Munir Azim was a rebel etc. And the so-called ex-Amir reached such an abased level that he along with his Mullahs stated that the caliphate was in danger. They created so much hatred in the hearts of the Ahmadis (men, women and even children) till they exceeded all limits in the field of religion. They [i.e. the hate-filled people among them] began the slogan “Khilafat is our life”; and, intoxicated with the poison that they were fed, they were ready to declare that they shall fall upon [i.e. kill] those who rebel against the caliph. And that ex-so-called Amir received many felicitations from the members of the Jamaat [i.e. for having ‘succeeded’ in ‘saving’ the caliphate].

So, with all the backbiting and rumours which one made with another, a caliph believed in those palavers without listening to me. So, now see where the Jamaat Ahmadiyya is going… to its lost! The light of Allah (Nur-e-Ilaahi) has disappeared in the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah (as). I must say that 90% of the Ahmadis have had this hatred against us, and this hatred blackened their hearts and their attitude against us became bad and not good to see at all, and indeed this darkness has stuck in their hearts as if they are on a black stone in complete darkness.

So, look at the Jamaat Ahmadiyya at national and international level, they no more uphold the teachings of Islam, not even the teachings of the Promised Messiah (as). They made their caliph become their idol and they have trampled the divine teachings. What remains is only backbiting and hatred.

On the other hand, the people who have Taqwa (fear of Allah) in their hearts, they hold within them a firm belief on the unity of Allah, and they remove themselves from these Khalifa/idol-worshipping, backbiting, jealousy, etc. They prefer to leave this Jamaat of dynasty, family-feeling, a Jamaat where there are the same people at the head all the time, and there is the same [unislamic] instructions such as: put boycott on us, have hatred for us, spread false rumours – backbite and suspect us. So, the Muttaqi [Muttaqun] see that all these are not the teachings of Allah. They leave that circle so that they may not fall into sin.

On Muharram and Ashura Fasting

“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.” (At-Tauba, 9:36).

The month of Muharram is one of the four holy months of Allah (swt). They are : Rajab, Dhul-Qaddah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram. Obedience in these months brings more reward and disobedience multiplies punishment.

This is the only month of the year that the Prophet (pbuh) connected to the name of Allah (swt). He called it “The Holy Month of Allah” (Shahrullah al-Muharram).
The emigration (Hijra) of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) from Mecca to Medina did not take place in this month as one would tend to believe. But it was in the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal. 

The Parable of Abraham's Birds

Dawa-t-Allah: Part V

“And when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead,’ He said, ‘Do you not believe, then?’ ‘Yes,’ said Abraham, ‘but just to put my heart at rest.’ So God said, ‘Take four birds and train them to come back to you. Then place them on separate hilltops, call them back, and they will come flying to you: know that God is all powerful and wise’.” (Al-Baqara 2: 261)

The members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam around the world have become quite familiar with the term Dawat-i-Allah which means: “The call made to men to Allah.”

This term has become familiar to you because in the past years I have continually drawn your attention to the importance of the mission for which you were created. Inviting man to Allah is the best service that man can give to man. A reminder is constantly being made to you but I fear that only a few of you will understand the full scope. If you really knew it, all the members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and the rest of the Muslims around the world would be at the moment I speak immersed in this blessed work.

You who are listening to me at this moment, know the importance of this task that has been entrusted to man. But most of you, that I have the happiness to tell this, are almost unfamiliar with this work. You do not know how to do it. You listen to me of course and by the expressions of your faces I know that you are determined to do something, but unfortunately as soon as you get out of here you will forget all that you have heard, and all that I ask you to do. I sometimes wonder why I have to constantly repeat it at the top of my voice to make you understand the importance of this mission, because if you do not take any action, then no one in this world can save humanity from the abyss of destruction.

The world is rapidly moving towards a point of no return. Men have turned their backs to God even though they proclaim loudly and strongly that they believe in Him but practically, the roads they follow are moving them away from Him. If you have any doubt about it, explain to me why there is no peace in this world? Why is there so much rancour and bitterness in people’s hearts? Why so much social malaise, so much fear and mistrust? Where he is, man turns his back on peace, stumbles and loses his balance; he remains an unsatisfied one, with deep fears for his future. All this cannot be the fate of those who worship God or who take the path that leads them to Him.

Kashmir: A View from Mauritius

In his Friday Sermon of 23 August 2019 ~21 Dhul-Hijjah 1440 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International, Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius spoke on the significance of obedience to God-ordained teachings brought by the Prophets and the saints for the guidance of people in every era. Illustrating the different trajectories in the life and fate of the peoples before Islam, especially with reference to the progeny of Prophet Abraham (as), Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) points to a larger spiritual truth: while those who adhered to the Covenant of God (or the Divine Law) inherited material sovereignty and spiritual blessings in equal measure; the generations of Law-breakers among them were reduced to slavery and servitude under alien occupation, especially when they ignored and trampled to dust the enduring wisdom in the Covenant of God. 

Even as Islam promises material advantage and spiritual fortunes to the true believers; it also warns the community of devotees of God to learn from the mistakes of other nations before them- including the children of Israel who refused to abide by the Pact of God in shaping their destinies. In our own times, Allah (swt) has raised Hadhrat Saheb (atba) with a clear message for the whole of humanity, especially the true believers in the Islamic Way, and he has been repeatedly appraising the world about the messages from the Unseen- revelations that contain pearls of wisdom and dire warning about the many dangers lurking behind for our small world. Commenting on recent political developments around the question of Kashmir, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) calls on both India and Pakistan to respect the dictates of justice and equity and to recognize the wishes of the people of the region- Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.- to exercise their inherent right to self-determination in shaping their common destiny. Speaking also about the on-going natural calamities in India and elsewhere in the region, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) calls the attention of the world for justice, empathy, compassion and solidarity with victims of all catastrophes visiting our common humanity.     

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon Below:   

After the revelations I received in Mandarin on Wednesday, 05 December 2018 at Mathra (Kerala) in Noor’ul Islam Mosque, where Allah made us understand that in the coming days the events that will happen throughout the world will be terrible and Allah has also revealed how much hate Narendra Modi, Donald Trump and the President of China among others (regarding their conflict and hatred) have for Islam and in these revelations there was also the mention of landslides, floods, cyclones, and many other problems around the world.

The Great Conflict in Kashmir & a High-Risk Wager 

Since Monday 05 August 2019, the Indian authorities have shown a very dark face of their history, a total blackout of democracy. The overthrow of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the revocation of Indian Kashmir autonomy is a high-risk wager that could reinvigorate the separatist insurgency and exacerbate tensions with Pakistan. 

In summary, Indian forces in Kashmir were placed on full alert Friday, 09 August 2019, during the Muslim prayer day [Jummah], said the Indian agency PTI, quoting a security official in Srinagar, the summer capital of the Jammu and Kashmir State, of Special Constitutional Status of Jammu and Kashmir, State of North India with a Muslim majority. And so, the terrible decision of the Indian government since its re-election in May to implement this project has caused a wave of panic in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pact of God and the Fate of Nations

God's Covenant with the children of Israel

In many places in the Qur’an and in the Torah made is mention of the wickedness and lack of faith of the Jews to emphasize how they have dishonoured their covenant.

It is mentioned in the Old Testament, in the chapter of Isaiah: “The earth is infected by the corruption of those who dwell in it, because they have violated the laws, they have changed the ordinances and they broke the covenant that was to last forever.” (Isaiah 24: 5).

It is said in the Holy Quran: “Those who were unfaithful among the children of Israel were cursed by the mouth of David and Jesus son of Mary, because they were rebellious, transgressors.” (Al-Maida 5: 79).

After Moses (as), there were many prophets among the Israelites. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “Every time a prophet died another prophet became his successor.” (Bukhari).

When the Israelites exceeded all limits in their transgressions, God wrested from them the temporal kingship after David, and the apostolate after Jesus. The time had come to remove and transfer prophethood from the Jewish people, for although of Abraham’s descent, they had become wicked.

Jesus told his disciples that another people would benefit from the prophethood: “Therefore I say to you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a people that will bring forth the fruits. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” (Matthew 21: 43-44).

The Holy Qur’an also alludes to this in the following verse: “It will be the sign of the approaching hour. Do not doubt it; follow me because it is the right path.” (Az-Zukhruf, 43: 62)

'Eid-ul-Adha' Sermon 2019

The Prayer of Hazrat Ibrahim (as)

“Rabbi hablii minas-saalihiin. Fabash-sharnaahu bi-gulaamin haliim.”

The verses of the Holy Quran which I have just recited before you today are found in Chapter 37, Surah As-Saffat, Verses 101-102. It is a duah (invocation/ prayer) which Hazrat Ibrahim (as) addressed to Allah.

The duah is as follows: “Rabbi hablii minas-saalihiin.” (O my Lord, grant me a righteous (offspring)). After addressing this duah to Allah (swt), God Almighty accepted it and granted him his request: “Fabash-sharnaahu bi-gulaamin haliim.” (So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing son).

So, these verses show the acceptance of Ibrahim’s (as) duah and how the promise of Allah (swt) came to manifest when Allah announced to him the birth of a gentle, and forbearing son. When the child reached the age when he could travel with his father, the latter (i.e. Hazrat Ibrahim) told him: ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing [slaughtering] you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as you are commanded and, God willing, you will find me steadfast (among those or like those who show [exemplary] patience).’

In this verse, Allah (swt) has mentioned patience; those who forebear, those who are steadfast. It is the same kind of patience [an exemplary patience] that the son of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) has shown when the time came for him to be sacrificed. That is why the boy, Hazrat Ismail (as) said that: Insha-Allah, you shall find me steadfast (among those or like those who show [exemplary] patience).

So, the subject matter of sacrifice in the path of Allah has a profound connection/ bond with patience, for without patience, then the sacrifice in itself is also vain. Had Hazrat Ismail (as) not said what he declared on that day with complete sincerity, i.e. Insha-Allah, you shall find me steadfast, then on that day itself the real meaning of sacrifice would have been lost, annihilated. And therefore the world would have been deprived from the reality [true meaning] of sacrifice.

The Children of Abraham

Divine Favours to Hazrat Ibrahim (as)

As we are in the month of Hajj (Dhul-Hijjah), after the Eid-ul-Adha which was celebrated last Monday, today’s Friday Sermon is on the divine favour granted to Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and how thereafter the favour of prophethood has eternally been given in the Muhammadan Ummah.

I must also say that following my article in French on the newspaper ‘Le Mauricien’, on 12 August 2019, day of the Eid of Sacrifice (Eid-ul-Adha), there are people from other communities who have written misplaced comments on Islam, and some even attacked the honour of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and condemned the practice of slaughtering [sacrifices] of animals. There are also those who do not even believe in the purpose of religion, and belief in God. So, these types of people say that Islam has copied on the practice of people from before Islam.

So, I wanted to answer their questions [through this sermon] before going into the heart of the subject of my sermon today which is also a refutation also for them, which preserves the honour of Abraham (as) as well as the honour of all his children and that of his legitimate and honourable wives.

The Ka'aba as a Sign of God

The story of the Ka'aba

Mecca, the Holy City is the busiest city in Saudi Arabia. The Holy Mosque (Masjid al Haram) is located in Mecca. It is a city in the Arabian Peninsula 350 meters above the sea. The Ka’aba is in the middle of the Sacred Mosque. This mosque is located in a space called Bakka.

The date of its foundation goes back to the time of Hazrat Ibrahim (as), the Prophet (Nabi) and the Friend (Khalil) of Allah. It is in this city that the Holy Prophet of Islam was born. It is also the cradle of the revelation that welcomed the light of Islam and it is there that springs the Sacred Mosque, the first installed on earth for the men by virtue as it is evident from the words of the Most High (Allah): “The first House that was built for the people is that of Bakka (Mecca), blessed and a good direction for the universe.” (Al-Imran 3: 97)

It has been safely reported from Abu Dharr that he said, “I asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) about the first mosque on earth? He said, ‘The Holy Mosque’ and then I said to him, ‘Which one afterwards?’ He said, ‘The Al-Aqsa Mosque.’ I told him, ‘How much time has passed between the two?’ He said, ‘40 years old.’”

The Ka’aba towards which the Muslims of the East and West (all Muslims) turn for their prayers (to worship the Unique Lord of the Ka’aba), is approximately found at the centre of the Sacred Mosque. It has a height of 15 metres and takes the form of a large cube almost square. It was built by Hazrat Ibrahim (as) on the command of Allah the Most High. Allah the Almighty and Majestic says: “And when We appointed for Ibrahim the place of the House (the Ka’aba) saying to Him, ‘Do not associate Me with anything; and cleanse My House for those who circle around it, for those who stand up in prayer, and for those who bow and make prostration.’” (Al-Hajj 22: 27).

The term “bawwa’na” means: We directed it and made it available to it and gave it permission to build. In this regard, Allah the Almighty says: “And when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundation of the House, [saying], ‘O our Lord, accept this from us! For You are the Hearing, the Knowing.’” (Al-Baqara 2: 128).