‘Forgo Shirk and Bid’ah in Ramadan’

[This is the second and final installment of the special video message delivered by the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) on the 10^th day of Ramadan, on July 30, 2012. The first part of the essay was published here at the Sahih Al Islam Blog on August 02, 2012 and is available at:  http://sahih-al-islam.blogspot.in/2012/08/a-ramadan-in-times-of-elect-of-allah.html ].

Unfortunately many Muslims today have a bad conception of fasting and the activities of the faster. They stay as in a state of hibernation and spend most of their time in bed. If they come to fear Allah, they stand only for the hours of prayers (Salat) and then they go to sleep again. This sleep makes them become lazy. And their (spiritual) activities decrease. Ramadan is a time of intense activity for the true believers, who will gladly deny food and drink, and make enormous efforts in the path of Allah.

Moreover, a thing of concern for us today is the innovation in the Iftaar of the believer, that is, the breaking of the Fast. Nowadays Muslims brothers and sisters are making the Iftaar become a feast, a moment of excessive rejoice and eating and drinking. The Iftaar of the faster should have been simple for the breaking of the fast is an act of Ibaadat (worship).

This practice to make a feast out of the Iftaar in the month of Ramadan are known to occur nowadays in the Muslim Arab countries, and it is most unfortunate that in a little island like Mauritius this practice has become widespread among the other Jamaats.

Recently on my Dawa mission, I have met Muslim brothers and it is sad to see that now they are losing their valuable time in preparation of great “Iftaari” or Iftaar party. It is a shame for the Muslims to have reached such a point that the blessed norms of the month of Ramadan are not respected at all. Muslims automatically fast and rejoice excessively at the breaking of the fast.

It is known that our Nabi Kareem (saw) has encouraged the believers to break the fast really quickly and to go to perform their Maghrib prayer as soon as possible after the Iftaar, for it is a joy for the faster to break his fast and meet with his Lord. But to make a feast out of it? This is indeed out of the question!

A RAMADAN in the times of an Elect of Allah

THE HOLY QUR'AN promises enduring divine blessings for the believers. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) confirmed that at the head of every century, the Elect of Allah shall make an appearance- to guide the Ummah in the path of the Shari’ah and to teach them the hidden treasures of the Holy Book and the Divine verities. Allah, the Most High raises whomsoever He wants. And He knows where to place His message. The appearance of the Khalifatullah and Muhyi-ud- Din Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) in the new Century of Islam confirms the veracity of the enduring teachings of the Holy Qur’an. In a special video message delivered on July 30, 2012 (on the 10^th day of Ramadan), the Messenger of Allah of our times calls the attention of believers to the extraordinary spiritual opportunity being made available to mankind by the Creator and reflects on the profound meaning of Ramadan.

Read the Extracts from the Special Sermon:

 O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous. (2: 184)

We are living the days of Ramadan, a glorious and blessed month bestowed to us by Allah so that we can come closer to Him all the more. And if we were negligent to Him and His commandments before, therefore Ramadan comes as a training and a reminder for us to grip firmly to Deen (religion) and not to lose sight of our duty to Allah, to His Messenger Hazrat Muhammad (saw) by following his Sunnah and also to follow the Messenger of Allah, the Khalifatullah of your time.

In this present era, we are witnessing extraordinary days of Ramadan, whereby it is Ramadan everyday of our lives (that is, the believers in the Divine Manifestation) for we have got the unique opportunity to live ISLAM as in the times of the past elects of Allah, whereby Allah sends down His Holy Spirit and revelations and inspirations are spread through not only the Messenger of Allah of his time but also his pious disciples and believers who toil night and day to spread the message of Allah in all four corners of the world. Alhamdulillah.

Fasting and Travelling: Prophetic Traditions

DURING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN, believers are generally expected to observe fasting in normal circumstances. Many of them, however, may have to go on regular travels as part of their everyday life routine. Arduous journeys may also have to be undertaken by some people and fasting on such occasions may entail hardship for the persons concerned. Some of them, may have a health situation that necessitates continuous medication. Islam takes into account these diverse physical and health conditions of the believers and it offers the possibility of replacing the missing fasts with an equal number of days in other/ better times. Both the Holy Qur’an and the noble practice of the Holy Prophet (sa) affirm the exceptions under special circumstances. In his Friday Sermon of July 27, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius explained at length the essential wisdom of these benign teachings of Islam.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“And whoever is ill or on a journey - then (to replace the missed fasts) an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.” (2: 186)

In this verse of the Holy Quran, Almighty Allah is referring to the travellers and the sick people. Allah says: “And whoever is ill or on a journey - then (to replace the missed fasts) an equal number of other days.” (2: 186)

A traveller who sets on a journey within a distance which enables him not to shorten his prayer, he can either fast or not fast and replace the missing fast or fasts afterwards, but if he sees that he is able to fast, then he can fast.

Significance of Namaz-e-Jumu’ah

Namaz-e-Jumu’ah, or the Friday noon prayer, is an important obligation on devout Muslims. The significance of the prayer finds a specific mention in the Holy Qur’an itself, with the believers being exhorted by Allah Almighty to proceed to the prayers and leave off all business wherever they are, once the call for prayer comes. Recently, a Muslim sought the guidance of the Messenger of our times, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) on a related matter: Can the Namaz-e- Jumu’ah be performed in a place and situation where there are only three persons (one male and two females) and a child?  

For the benefit of our readers, the guidance issued by Hadhrat Sahib (atba) is reproduced below: 

“... [I]t is absolutely permissible to conduct Jummah prayers with 3 persons and a child. A Jamaat is formed with TWO persons, and women also are the servants of Allah and their presence in Jummah counts. 

When Allah says in Surah Jumu'ah:

"O you who believe! when the call is made for Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business. That is better for you, if you only knew." (62:10)