The Reality of Divine Trials

Continuing the series of discourses on the Divine Signs of our times against the backdrop of the horrific global pandemic COVID-19, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir. A. Azim (atba) of Mauritius, in his Friday Sermon of 27 March 2020~02 Shabaan 1441 AH, underscores the need for being clear-headed about the phenomenon of Divine punishments. People should not confuse calamities that engulf sinful nations after a messenger is raised among them- to warn them of the Days of God- with the trials that servants of God meet with in worldly life. Both have different objectives and contrasting outcomes. While every trial contains within it the seeds of personal reform and social transformation, such trials do not benefit the arrogant, and the ensuing punishment destroys a sinful order to its core. On the other hand, the trials of the truly humble allow them to remain steadfast even in the face of despair and gloom in the vagaries of life, in utter self-surrender to the Will of God. Even when the believers are shaken by the tests of faith, Divine Law prevails against all odds.  Moreover, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) in the sermon also shares recent revelations on the subject of Divine Trials and Anger in our times, and offers profound guidance on course-correction from the brink of mounting disasters facing humanity today: turn to God in repentance for the excesses and sins of life; offer fervent supplications in the quest for Divine Forgiveness and Mercy, Insha Allah, Aameen.  

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

The Truth about 'Isra-Miraj'

'Isra wa Miraj' is one of the most celebrated events in the Muslim cultural consciousness, and every year on the 27th of Rajab in the Hijri calendar, Muslims mark one of the greatest mystical experiences the Prophet Muhammad (sa) have had in his eternally-blessed life. Whereas 'Isra' points to the Night Journey from Makka to Jerusalem undertaken by the Holy Prophet (sa) in the space of a single night; 'Miraj' denotes the Heavenly Ascension where the Holy Prophet(sa) encountered several Judeo-Christian prophets and finally came into the Divine presence: within two-bows'length of God Himself or nearer (53:10). The spiritual journeys of the Holy Prophet(sa) are significant for the deep connection it establishes between Divine messages of the past and the present- between Islam and the Prophetic heritage of old, with the ancient religions with Jerusalem as their spiritual home. Likewise, it was during the Miraj that the ritual prayer of Islam- the Salat- recieved its present form and shape.

Although rooted in events indicated in the Qur'an, with a range of details described also in scores of sacred traditions attributed to the Holy Prophet (sa); there is, however, much confusion and misunderstanding prevails among the masses concerning the true nature and meaning of the 'Isra-Miraj' journeys. Whether both the Night Journey and the Heavenly Ascension were physical occurrences? Where these journeys point to one incident with two different names, or, are, in reality, two entirely-different incidents, or were they two-stages of one mystic experience? What is the meaning and significance of the 'Isra-Miraj' journeys for devout Muslims- those who aspire to the Divine Presence in the fashion of the blessed Prophet of Islam? On the occasion of the Miraj Shareef- Saturday, 21 March 2020~ 27 Rajab 1441 AH, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir A. Azim (atba) of Mauritius made a well-rounded speech after the Salat-ul-Esha to explain concerning the 'Miraj and Isra'.

Here is the Text of the Speech:

The Legacy of Massih Maoud

On the occasion of Massih Maoud Day 2020, Imam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (atba) of Mauritius addressed members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International through a special Address at night on 23 March 2020 ~ 29 Rajab 1441 AH. The discourse of the Khalifatullah reflects on the blessed life and spiritual practices of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian (1835-1908), the man who made the claim of being the Massih Maoud of the previous era. The Divine revelations and special messages of God left behind by this great saintly figure of modern Islam continue to water the blessed, spiritual garden of this religion with the advent of a Divinely- elected Khalifatullah among the progeny of the Promised Messiah (as), Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah.    

Read the Special Sermon Below: 

PROMISED MESSIAH DAY [23 MARCH 1889  -  23 MARCH 2020]

Today is exactly 131 years since the first oath of allegiance by divine order taken by the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of his followers.

The Promised Messiah (as) said, “This is an order from God: For the purpose of learning what true faith, true purity, love for the Lord, abandoning a life of iniquity, carelessness and unfaithfulness are, the seekers of truth must take before me the oath of allegiance (Bai’ah).

Let those who feel able to join me, I will share their pain and strive to lighten their burdens. Through my prayers and thoughtful care, God will bless them, provided they wholeheartedly conform to the conditions of the Pact of Allegiance which are divinely inspired.

Khalifatullah’s Book on ‘Jihad’

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International has just published a new book, entitled ‘Jihad: Reflections on Islam in the Times of Terror’. The spiritual treatise, compiled and curated by Fazil Jamal, brings together a number of Friday sermons and other special discourses given by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) of Mauritius over the last decade on this vital subject. The discourses of Imam Azim (atba), originally made in response to contemporary international political developments- including terror attacks in the name of ‘Jihad’ perpetrated in numerous countries by radicalised Muslim youths-, throw searching light on the doctrine and practice of ‘Jihad’ in Islam, especially on the basis of relevant Qur’anic framework and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (sa).  

In his discourse on ‘Jihad’, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) agrees that widespread misconceptions exist around this important Islamic obligation among both Muslim youths and the non-Muslims. Hadhrat Saheb (atba) insists that whoever looks at ‘Jihad’ as nothing but indiscriminate violence against ‘infidels’ do not fully comprehend the real teachings of Islam. He points out that the Qur’an does not promote ‘Jihad’ as the ideology of coercive religiosity, nor does it stand for senseless violence. Likewise, ‘Jihad’ is not a weapon of aggression against other peace-loving people. In Islam, ‘Jihad’ is a resistance tool against oppression when recourse to the use of force becomes inevitable against recalcitrant enemies who take up sword to destroy the whole community of believers. Except in such rare circumstances of self-preservation and existential threat, Islam rejects the instrumental role of violence. Ideas being propagated in the name of Islam contrary to the above by some Ulema, as well as others, including anti-Muslim propagandists, miss the real point about Islamic teachings on Jihad, points out Hadhrat Saheb(atba). 

The Reality of Divine Wrath

The Signs of Allah- II

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, while I was praying for Divine Guidance on the present subject, Allah directed my attention to a revealed text which He taught me in February 2006 on what is happening around the world and about His Divine punishment, and the fact that I have come as the Reviver of Faith of this era.

The Holy Quran and the other Divine scriptures disclose that the ruin and destruction imposed in this life on people as punishment are not afflicted because those people follow a wrong doctrine, for instance, because they worship idols, planets or fire, or some other created things or person.

So no one is punished in this life merely on account of doctrinal errors or beliefs. Indeed this world is a paradise for the disbelievers and it is mostly the believers who suffer pain and torment in this world. There is a saying, which is a great lesson for us: “This world is the paradise of the disbelievers and the prison of the believers.” 

Revelations in Corona Times

'When the sentence of doom is given against them, We shall bring a creature out of the earth, which will speak to them: people had no faith in Our revelations'. (27:83)

'...It was not God who wronged them, they wronged themselves. Those who take protectors other than God can be compared to spiders building themselves houses- the spider's is the frailest of all houses- if only they could understand'. (29:41-2)

Novel Coronavirus. The global pandemic is an occasion to reflect on the dire state of our world: how precarious our calculations are, how deeply vulnerable we are. The hidden forces of nature can suddenly emerge to shatter our lives at any moment in time. Since the new virus was first identified in China last year, it has caused considerable international concern as it is spreading fast across regions, races and religions- Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, the United States, etc. The death-toll from the disease- that jumped from animals to humans- has crossed 7000 as of today, just as infection rates have surged in recent days. Now there are more reported cases outside of mainland China than inside, pointing to the evolving nature of this pandemic. [Inset: As part of a long-running effort to see what viruses bats harbor, researchers in China examine one temporarily captured in a cave in Guandong. (c) ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE].

Media reports show that countries around the world are rushing to implement emergency measures in an effort to contain the virus and enforce social distancing, including nationwide lock-downs, imposing border and travel restrictions, school closures and ordering restaurants, cafes and bars to close or reduce services. 'We have never lived through anything like this. And our society, which had grown used to changes that expand our possibilities of knowledge, health and life, now finds itself in a war to defend all we have taken for granted', Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told Parliament. "This is a once-in-a- hundred-year type event," said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, warning the crisis could last six months as his nation gears up for changes in life, as it is changing all around the world. The global pandemic is amongst the several disasters striking humanity today. As humanity stands humbled by the emergence of a microorganism, and the outbreak of a pandemic consuming thousands, we need to pause and it should also occasion an intense and thoroughgoing soul-searching amongst us on what is wrong with our world that is turning upside down on all fronts. The microorganism is literally 'speaking'/ asking us to reclaim the values of global inter-dependence and solidarity,  collective security, and shared progress. In a world riven by arrogant conceptions of 'national interest' and 'nation first' where 'leader' after 'leader' is speaking the language of racist intolerance and xenophobia, the reach of the epidemic is shaking the existing order to its core, bringing 'tall' icons down to their crumpling fate. 

Throughout history, Divine messengers brought sublime guidance on righteous living; they called their people to an exalted, heavenly destiny of inner peace, by recognizing the higher values of life and  respecting the restraints of Divine Law. Most people, however, are often dominated by a materialistic, 'earthly'-outlook on life, and they choose their fate by turning their backs to the pure messages on offer: the materialist outlook that these people embrace trigger evil impulses in its own way to destroy human soul, public health and the social order. We can reclaim our world only by reverting our preoccupations and lifestyles back to the path of moderation and balance as ordained by the Creator and Sustainer of the worlds, and by following the Divine Elects of our times who are there to lead us in the correct and straight path. In a Special Address delivered on 11 March 2020 ~ 16 Rajab 1441 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (atba) of Mauritius spoke about recent Divine revelations vouchsafed to him against the backdrop of the global pandemic: a message that contains perennial truths on the mission of the savants of Faith; good news for those who keep to the middle course in life; and for those drunk on pelf and power, severe warnings about the Days of God. 

Read the Special Address Below:

Divine Revelations on Disasters

As the Lord and Sustainer of all the worlds, God's commandments are binding on all of humanity in life's varied settings, including in man's relationship with fellow humans, animals and the wider natural environment. Trampling upon, or interfering with the sublime Order of the Universe as Will-ed or created by the Exalted Lord in a balanced, harmonious, and ultimately equitable way, can and does upset the entire universal equilibrium, and threatens the very existence of humans in this small world. In an age of extraordinary disasters and upheavals turning the world upside down thanks to human interference, it is critical for humanity to reclaim the values of humility, justness, balance and equity, peace, harmony and residual goodwill in order to set things rightly among all humans, as well as to protect our social and natural environment.

The Holy Qur'an emphatically testifies that Elects of God are raised in every era of human kind in order to call people to the correct and straight mode of living- recognizing and worshipping the Lord, and respecting the dues of His creatures amidst whom humans spent their days in this world. The messengers invite people to their God, by explaining and demonstrating the normative underpinnings of a just and ethical life at peace and harmony with fellow beings and the natural environment. These messengers invariably advice people to remain within the bounds of the Shariah, and be upright in all their undertakings, and warn humankind against the dangers and pitfalls of injustice and imbalance, including the unsustainable exploitation of natural environment.

It might astonish people who come to discover this fact: an Elect of God lives amongst us, and His Creator had foretold him about the most important incidents that took place in the last two decades- devastating floods and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, Tsunami of 26 December 2004, forest fires, outbreak of pandemics, huge accidents involving airplanes, etc. In his Friday Sermon of 13 March 2020~ 18 Rajab 1441 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir. A. Azim (atba) of Mauritius succinctly summarizes some of these Signs as they have unfolded after being foretold in Divine revelations vouchsafed to him. Based on recurring Divine revelations, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) warns about severe disasters that will put humanity on a dangerous curve in its very existence on planet earth. Hadhrat Saheb (atba) further prays for forgiveness and mercy for all humanity- for it to be able to return from the brink of disasters, and for the ultimate establishment of the Divine Way in human hearts, Insha Allah, Aameen. 

Read the Friday Sermon Below: