Ethics of Just Ruling

 

Fairness

‘David, We have given you mastery over the land. Judge fairly between people. Do not follow your desires, lest they divert you from God’s path: those who wander from His path will have a painful torment because they ignore the Day of Reckoning.’ (Holy Qur’an, 38: 27) 

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The Holy Prophet (sa) said:

“An ant stung one of the prophets,

who then commanded that the ant nest be burned.

 But Allah (swt) inspired the prophet:

‘If one ant bites you,

you burn one of the communities that glorify Allah?’”   

 

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‘Injustice will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection’

 

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'Beware of injustice, for injustice will become a multitude of shadows on the Day of Resurrection. And beware of avarice, for avarice destroyed those who were before you, carrying them away to the point where they shed their blood and thought their taboos permissible to them'

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‘What destroyed those before you was that whenever an aristocrat among them stole, they would let him be, but when one of the powerless among them stole, they would inflict the legal punishment on him’

'Be Kind to Animals'

 

According to Islamic teachings, birds and animals are communities like us human beings; just and kind treatment of animals is an obligation upon us. Kind treatment of animals is among the good deeds worthy of ultimate Divine rewards of forgiveness and salvation in the life to come. Likewise, cruel treatment of living beings entails consequences for the human soul. Explicit guidance of the Holy Prophet (sa) on the treatment of birds and animals leaves one with no doubt about the implications of our deeds vis-a-vis these living beings. Consider the following teachings of the Holy Prophet (sa).

According to Prophetic traditions, Allah (swt) thanked a man and forgave him for giving water to a panting dog eating moist earth in its thirst. The  Ahadith also confirm that ‘there is a reward for your kind treatment of every living being.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) also stated: ‘If any Muslim plants a tree or sows a crop, and then a bird, or a human being, or an animal eats of it, then it is sacred charity to his credit.’  

 

Further, the Holy Prophet (sa) relates: ‘A woman entered Hellfire because of a cat that she kept tied up, neither feeding it nor letting it go to eat of the vermin of the earth.’  

 

He also narrates, “one of the prophets stopped to rest under a tree, and an ant stung him. The prophet had his baggage removed from beneath the tree and ordered that fire be set to the ants’ abode. But then God inspired him with the thought, ‘Why not just one ant?’ ”  

 

The Holy Prophet (sa) also states: ‘A prostitute was forgiven because she passed by a dog panting at a well, and observing that thirst was about to kill the dog, she removed her slipper, fastened it to her veil, and drew out some water for the dog. And so she was forgiven because of that.’  

 

In response to a question on the cruel treatment of animals by human beings, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius profoundly explains Islamic ethics on this vital issue. 

Read the Response Below: 

Holy Prophet: The Perfect Role Model

                                                                                            

'Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah often.' (Al-Ahzab, 33: 22).

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Mecca, Arabia, nearly six hundred years after Hazrat Isa (as) [Jesus]. At that time, his people were deeply involved in idolatry, and their society was marked by corruption and decay. The Jews in Arabia had formed tribes and settlements but did not spread the message of the Unicity of Allah beyond their community. Christianity was divided into many feuding sects, and its stronghold, the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium), was in decline.

Muhammad: 'Khatam-an-Nabiyyin'

 

The Advent of the Seal of all Prophets, Muhammad (pbuh)

 

'O our Lord, send among them a Messenger from among themselves, who will recite to them Your Verses [revelations], teach them Your Book and Wisdom, and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise.'  (Al-Baqara 2: 130)

  

Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and Hazrat Isma’il (as) made a profound supplication, which Allah has mentioned in the Holy Quran, to endure until the Day of Judgement, and which gives the good news of the advent of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) as an answer to their prayer.

Life of Hazrat Musa (as)

 

The Messengers of Allah

'The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. (They proclaim) “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You (alone) is the final return.” (Al-Baqara 2: 286)

 

Today, by the grace of Allah, I continue my series of sermons on the Prophets and Messengers of Allah. Last week, I spoke about how the Bani Isra’il found themselves in Egypt and how, over time, they became slaves under the tyrannical rule of the Pharaohs.

 

It was during that period that Allah planned to send Hazrat Musa (as) to warn Pharaoh so that he might reform. Allah narrates the life of Hazrat Musa (as) and his teachings in 22 Surahs of the Quran, with the most detailed accounts of his life and mission as a prophet found in 5 Surahs, namely: Surah Al-Araf, Surah Taha, Surah Ash-Shu’ara, Surah Al-Qasas, and Surah Ghafir (Al-Muminun).

'Karma' and 'Kifarah'

  

‘Are you rewarded for anything except what you have done?’ [27:92]

 

‘Whoever comes before God with a good deed will receive a better reward; whoever comes with an evil deed will be punished only for what he has done.’ (28:85)

 

‘He does not wrong anyone by as much as the weight of a speck of dust: He doubles any good deed and gives a tremendous reward of His own.’ (4:41)

  

In Hinduism and Buddhism, ‘Karma’ is the ‘sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.’ Many people believe in ‘Karma’ leading to multiple reincarnations in different states of existence before the human soul finds ultimate salvation. However, ‘Karma’, in general, is about good luck or bad fate; viewed as resulting from one’s actions.

 

From an Islamic perspective, we humans live only once in this world, and when we die, we leave forever from this world, only to give an account of our deeds on the Day of Resurrection and Judgement: man’s eventual fate is essentially linked to his own actions. On the Day of Judgement, man’s soul will testify on all deeds- good, or bad- to receive the true and enduring reward of Paradise, or the Fire of Hell as a consequence of one’s record of deeds.

Questions for Ahmadi Maulvis

 

To protect people of the Faith from doctrinal confusion and Satanic deviations and to preserve and guide them in the subtle and abstruse path of pure spirituality, Islam offers the prospects of perpetual Divine guidance through the advent of Divinely- imbued souls as servants of Faith in every era of Islam. In spiritual terminology, the Divinely-raised Reviver of the Faith is a true son, spiritual heir and successor to the Holy Prophet (sa), and he renews the true teachings of the Faith as it were in the days of the Prophet (sa) in a new century of Islam. Indeed, an appointed one of God when he is commissioned by the Lord Almighty with a spiritual mission of renewal and reform of the Ummah is known as a ‘Muhyiuddin’, ‘Mujaddid’, ‘Khalifatullah’, ‘Waliullah’, ‘Ma’mur-min-Allah’, ‘Ummati- Nabi’, ‘Imam Mahdi’, etc.    

 

 

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, established by the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi of the previous era, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian, way back in 1889, is deeply rooted in the Islamic spiritual tradition of perpetual divine guidance. Like the Mujaddidin of Islam who appeared in all parts of the Islamic world over the millennium and more of Islamic history, Hazrat Mirza Saheb claimed to be a recipient of Divine communion and special messages with a view to reforming the Ummah of all its doctrinal confusions and divisions so as to renew the days of the Holy Prophet (sa) as a living, thriving religion in the Later Days. Furthermore, as for the future, the Promised Messiah (as) clarified in no uncertain terms that Allah (swt) will continue to raise Mujaddidin in every century as a favour of Divine Grace and Mercy and Favour upon the Muslim Ummah till the Day of Judgement.  

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. 

The Lineage of Ibrahim (as)

 

'The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. (They proclaim) “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You (alone) is the final return.” (Al-Baqara 2: 286)

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I continue my Friday sermon on the same subject as my previous sermons, namely, on the Messengers and Prophets of Allah.

 

Throughout the history of the prophets, we have seen that they all brought a single message: Worship Allah alone and do not associate any false deities with Him in His worship.

A ‘Mujaddid’ in Islam Today

 

‘You are the best people raised for the good of mankind; you enjoin what is good and forbid evil and believe in Allah. And if the People of the Book had believed, it would have surely been better for them. Some of them are believers, but most of them are disobedient.’ (Holy Quran, 3:111) 

Allah mentions in His divine scriptures that this Muslim community is the best community among all. However, whether the contemporary Muslim community is deserving of this distinction is, unfortunately, a bitter truth to the contrary.

 

This noble community, which is meant to guide other societies, is now under the influence of Mullahs who propagate misleading interpretations. Consequently, Islam, which is fundamentally a path of peace, is portrayed as a ruthless and violent ideology.

'Follow the Prophetic Model'

 

The Duahs of the Holy Prophet ^(sa) & The Promise of Allah- Part 6

'The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. (They proclaim) “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You (alone) is the final return.” (Al-Baqara 2: 286)

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I am continuing with the sixth part of my Friday sermon, explaining the verse I have just read to you, which has a close connection with the promise Allah made to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Muslims. It serves as a guide on how we can achieve this promise.

'Preach Islam through Good Deeds'

 

The Duahs of the Holy Prophet ^(sa) & The Promise of Allah- Part 5

'O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify Him morning and evening. It is He Who blesses you, as do His angels, to get you out of darkness into light, and He has always been Merciful to the believers. Their greeting on the Day they meet Him will be, “Peace!” And He has prepared for them an honourable reward. O Prophet, We have sent you as a Witness and a Bearer of glad tidings and a Warner, as one who calls people to Allah by His leave, and as a light-giving lamp. Give good news to the believers that they will have a great bounty from Allah. Do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Overlook their annoyances, and put your trust in Allah. For Allah is sufficient to take care of all matters.'  (Surah Al-Ahzab 33: 42-49)

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I am continuing the fifth part of my Friday sermon concerning the invocations of our beloved Prophet and the promises that Allah has made to us through him.

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)

Becoming A 'Dai-Illallah'

 

The Duahs of the Holy Prophet ^(sa) & The Promise of Allah- Part 4

'O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify Him morning and evening. It is He Who blesses you, as do His angels, to get you out of darkness into light, and He has always been Merciful to the believers. Their greeting on the Day they meet Him will be, “Peace!” And He has prepared for them an honourable reward. O Prophet, We have sent you as a Witness and a Bearer of glad tidings and a Warner, as one who calls people to Allah by His leave, and as a light-giving lamp. Give good news to the believers that they will have a great bounty from Allah. Do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Overlook their annoyances, and put your trust in Allah. For Allah is sufficient to take care of all matters.'  (Surah Al-Ahzab 33: 42-49)

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I am continuing with the fourth part of my Friday sermon, focusing on the invocations of our beloved Prophet and the promises Allah has made to us through him.

 

I was also explaining to you the importance of becoming good Dai-Illallah (callers to Allah). Therefore, if we aspire to become excellent Dai-Illallah today, we must first commend (congratulate) each Dai-Illallah, for this is the title that Allah has Himself bestowed upon the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Every Dawat-e-Illallah (invitation to Allah) that a person undertakes with utmost effort is akin to striving to be alongside the Holy Prophet (pbuh) in this noble endeavour. What must you do for this?

Al Ahzab, 42- 49: A Commentary- 2

 

The Duahs of the Holy Prophet ^(sa) & The Promise of Allah- Part 3

 

'O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify Him morning and evening. It is He Who blesses you, as do His angels, to get you out of darkness into light, and He has always been Merciful to the believers. Their greeting on the Day they meet Him will be, “Peace!” And He has prepared for them an honourable reward. O Prophet, We have sent you as a Witness and a Bearer of glad tidings and a Warner, as one who calls people to Allah by His leave, and as a light-giving lamp. Give good news to the believers that they will have a great bounty from Allah. Do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Overlook their annoyances, and put your trust in Allah. For Allah is sufficient to take care of all matters.'  (Surah Al-Ahzab 33: 42-49)

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I am continuing my Friday sermon today on the spiritual beauty of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), and how his status, prayers, and the promises made by Allah to him have been fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled. I had also highlighted how he was the greatest Caller to Allah (Dai-Illallah), and how we too, starting with myself as the Khalifatullah of this era, must strive to become excellent callers to Allah in the image of our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh).

 

Like I was saying, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is not the biological father who produced any surviving male child who came directly from him – he is not the father of any of you in this aspect, but he is certainly a prophet of Allah and a father who produces prophets, such [special] people and prophets who deserve Allah’s blessings.

Al Ahzab, 42- 49: A Commentary- 1

The Duahs of the Holy Prophet ^(sa) & The Promise of Allah- Part 2

 

'O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify Him morning and evening. It is He Who blesses you, as do His angels, to get you out of darkness into light, and He has always been Merciful to the believers. Their greeting on the Day they meet Him will be, “Peace!” And He has prepared for them an honourable reward. O Prophet, We have sent you as a Witness and a Bearer of glad tidings and a Warner, as one who calls people to Allah by His leave, and as a light-giving lamp. Give good news to the believers that they will have a great bounty from Allah. Do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Overlook their annoyances, and put your trust in Allah. For Allah is sufficient to take care of all matters.' (Surah Al-Ahzab 33: 42- 49)

These verses from Surah Al-Ahzab that I have just recited come right after the mention of Khataman Nabiyyin and it is well connected with the subject of Khataman Nabiyyin. 

Miracles of 'Tawheed'

 The Duahs of the Holy Prophet ^(pbuh) & The Promise of Allah- Part 1

 

If today we are Muslims, and we have received the names and titles of Muslims, it is only through Allah and His greatest, most honourable and most perfect prophet [from among all Messengers and Prophets] Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). He was someone who preferred to sacrifice worldly pleasures for the greatest pleasure, i.e. the spiritual pleasure which is eternal. And the meaning of this spiritual pleasure is to acquire the love of Allah and His approval and mercy. So, through his sacrifices, obedience, goodness, and following the divine instructions he received, he (pbuh) has secured a reserved and most honourable place for him in the “heart” and “sight” of Allah.

 

That great personality who is the most perfect of all law-bearing and non-law-bearing prophets is none but Muhammad (pbuh). He was born in Arabia at a time when Arabia and the rest of the world were plunged into the darkness of infidelity to Allah. Idolatry was rampant and caused havoc everywhere. It was him, a very humble and weak human who was moreover an orphan – of both mother and father – from his early childhood, who enabled a great spiritual revolution in the world, not just in Arabia.

 

Bear in mind that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) did not let himself be attracted by gold and silver, by the superficial riches of this world. He preferred sacrificing for His Ummah so that they [i.e. all of us, his followers] may harvest the good of the hereafter as well as the pleasure of Allah when they [we, Muslims] follow in his footsteps.

Lessons from Hazrat Ibrahim- 2

 

The Messengers of Allah

'The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. (They proclaim) “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You (alone) is the final return.” (Al-Baqara 2: 286)

Alhamdulillah Summa Alhamdulillah [Praise be to Allah, again (I repeat) Praise be to Allah], the life of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) [Abraham], as I explained last week, was far from easy. He faced numerous trials, starting with his own parents, and also encountered Namrud [Nimrod] and his people who sought to burn him alive in a great fire simply because he made them question the false gods they were worshipping.

Mystical Visions in Islam

 

In a recent Question and Answer session with the Sahih Al Islam YouTube Channel, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius explains the nature of Visions, Dreams & Revelations as spiritual phenomena. In this conversation with Hazrat Tayyiba Nasrine Aliah, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) describes the Islamic perspective with copious references to Qur’anic teachings as well as the Holy Prophet’s mystical experiences, especially focussing on the Miraj (Ascension) of the Holy Prophet (sa). Furthermore, drawing on his own personal, mystical experiences, Hazrat Saheb (aba) gives a fascinating glimpse into the world of spiritual visions and revelations in this era, SubhaanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allah-u-Akbar!  

 

For the Text of the Interview, click here. 

Bedtime Ethics in Islam

Qur'an on Night Prayer

 

 

‘Remember the name of your Lord at dawn and in the evening; bow down before Him, and glorify Him at length by night’. (76: 26-27)

‘Proclaim His praise in the night’ (50:41)

 

‘Glorify Him at night and at the fading of the stars.’ (52: 50) 

 

‘Keep up the prayer at both ends of the day, and during parts of the night, for good things drive bad away– this is a reminder for those who are aware.’ (11: 115)

 

‘Celebrate the praise of your Lord, before the rising and setting of the sun, celebrate His praise during the night, and at the beginning and end of the day, so that you may find contentment.’ (20:131)

 

‘Night prayer makes a deeper impression and sharpens words–– you are kept busy for long periods of the day–– so celebrate the name of your Lord and devote yourself wholeheartedly to Him.’ (73:7-9)

 

‘And during the night wake up and pray, as an extra offering of your own, so that your Lord may raise you to a [highly] praised status.’ (17:80)

‘You Are Not A Muslim’

  

Sufyan Bin Abdullah related, “I said to the Messenger of Allah, ‘Tell me a statement on Islam such that I need ask no one else but you about it’. He told me, ‘Say, ‘I believe in God,’ and be upright.’ ”  

‘One who observes the same prayer as we do, faces the same direction in prayer as we do, and partakes from the animal slaughtered by us, then such a one is a Muslim concerning whom there is a Covenant of Allah and His Messenger: so you must not seek to hoodwink Allah in the matter of this Covenant.’  

'A believer is still within the scope of his religion as long as he does not shed forbidden blood....If anyone curses a believer, that is like murdering him; and if anyone accuses a believer of disbelief, that is like murdering him...A slanderer will not enter the Garden of Paradise’. 

 

‘People, We created you all from male and female, and made you into races and tribes so that you should get to know one another [like relatives from the same origin]. 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: 14)

Lessons from Hazrat Ibrahim (as)

 

'The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. (They proclaim) “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You (alone) is the final return.” (Al-Baqara 2: 286)

 

Alhamdulillah Summa Alhamdulillah [Praise be to Allah, Praise be to Allah again], I continue on the subject of my Friday sermon from past weeks on the Messengers of Allah. Today, I come on the life story of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) – Abraham.

 

After Hazrat Nuh (as), there were several prophets who came in the footsteps of Hazrat Nuh (as), who consolidated and fulfilled the Book of Law that he received. Then, after a lapse of time when those teachings were falsified and lost, Allah raised Hazrat Ibrahim (as) as a prophet and messenger. Allah blessed him with His revelations and sent down His commandments upon him. And Allah mentions this in the Holy Quran where He says: “Indeed, this is found in the former scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.” (Al-A’la 87:19-20)