Saints and the Trajectory of Divine Light

After the death and departure of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa), Islam could survive and flourish as a religious order and Muslims as a community through the centuries against all odds. On the temporal field, the Muslims achieved great progress and built magnificent empires and astounding forts and palaces and their victories and progress went on to attain an entire civilizational scale thanks to their massive impact wherever they went. As it happened, however, in the ebb and flow of time, their material fortunes declined and the single community disintegrated into splintered sects and partisan groups. On the contrary, regardless of the political fortunes of the Community, spiritual Islam continued to be vitalized and straddle on the lofty trajectory of Divine light almost every century or so with and by the appearance of noble saints, Revivers of faith and Vicegerents of Allah as the Guided Ones in the community. It is through the spiritual insights and practical example of these Divinely-blessed saints that Islam retains and continues to expand its appeal as a religious order among the masses in all the corners of the earth.

In his Friday Sermon of May 10, 2013 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius provides illuminating insights on this spiritual subject of profound depth and sublime complexity. In this speech, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) offers a profound commentary on the Qur’anic promise of mighty success for the sincere believers by describing the qualities and faculties of the Divinely-raised saints who are allowed to establish live connection with, and receive communications from, the Creator. While the Khilafat of a Divine Messenger may continue among his physical progeny so long as they remain in the straight path of Allah, the trajectory of Divine light and blessings may alter and embrace the spiritual progeny when Allah deems it so necessary. In our times, the Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya community has been stripped off the benefit of Divine revelations in spite of claiming themselves to be the followers of the Promised Massih (as) and on the contrary, Allah has blessed a spiritual progeny of the Promised Massih (as) with the Divine Light and favour. Significantly, the Sermon also specifically contains an important Divine revelation received in the early days of the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius, clearly conveying the lofty spiritual status of the Khalifatullah (atba) in our times.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“... And whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger, shall surely attain a mighty success.” - (Quran 33: 72)

The Culture of Indecency and the Sexual Crimes

In the context of rising incidences of violence against women and other sex-related crimes, including rape and killings, the prevailing culture of indecency and the commodification of women’s body are at the center of the debate. Indeed, the connections are hard to miss except for those who are happy to fool themselves. In the name of western values and woman’s freedoms, technology and innovation, fashion and aesthetics, the weeds of immorality and indecency have been allowed to grow and thrive unchecked in media and the public sphere. So much so that the new culture of indecency is striking at the very roots of the societal health. The indecent representation of women in popular culture and social media, in television and over internet, the easy access to pornographic materials- all these are leading to the incitement to evil and more evil.

In his Friday Sermon of May 03, 2013 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius drew attention to the rising instances of rape and other violence against women in Mauritius and elsewhere. Instead of protecting the honour and dignity of women, the social culture of our times, exploit and dishonour them and degrade their status. The dehumanization of this culture of indecency is so complete that animal passions have blinded the perpetrators to the horrific and brutal nature of their crimes. Indecency has become so pervasive and percolated down to the very edifice of family that, as the Khalifatullah (atba) notes in the Friday Sermon, many of the old women victims have their perpetrators in their own families and close relations. While the recent instances of rape and other sexual crimes in Mauritius only confirm the predictions and warnings clearly made by the Khalifatullah (atba) in his end- of- the- year- 2012 speech, one can only hope and pray that better sense will prevail and that the people will move away from the brink of disaster.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

Why Obey the Divine Messenger?

Our age, in many different ways, bear witness to the great religious and spiritual loss of man. It seems as though people are under an all-pervading, evil spell which cause them trample to dust the spiritual norms of ethical life.   Restoring the sublime values of man’s eternal life requires the coming of a Divinely-raised soul: to teach what the people have allowed to be forgotten- prudence and the straight path. For, it is the enduring practice of our Ever Merciful Lord that He raises His Messenger when things go awry.  In the evocative words of Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba), “the need for a prophet of Allah, of a messenger of Allah is when man ceases to remain in the frame of spirituality and has lost all bearings on his own religious integrity and spirituality”. In his Friday Sermon of 03 May 2013, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius gave a discourse on the paramount importance of recognizing and accepting a Divine Messenger whenever he arrives in the world. 

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah; but those who turn away, We have not sent you over them as a guardian. (4: 81)

Labour Rights and Islamic Economics

May 1^st is celebrated the world over as International Labour Day. In his Friday Sermon of May 1, 2009 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius   reflected on the significance of recognizing and upholding the rights of employees and workers. The sermon makes a searing critique of the ways in which fundamental labour rights and freedoms have been virtually undermined in most countries of the world. Illustrating the case of Mauritius, the Khalifatullah (atba) points out how the political class pay lip service to the working class and indulge in tokenism to avoid addressing the real, substantive issues of their welfare and dignity.

Reflecting on the situation in the Muslim world, the Khalifatullah (atba) takes note of the strong undercurrents of dissatisfaction and discontentment among the Muslim masses against the elites of their societies. Almost presciently, the Khalifatullah (atba) anticipated the "Arab Spring" events of 2010-11 when he noted the revolutionary upsurge among the Muslim youth leading to the overthrow of governments. He noted that the deep divisions among the Muslims would increase the distance between Islamic precepts and the practice of Muslims. In recent decades, the planting of the western economic ideas and philosophies- ranging from socialism to capitalism, individualism to authoritarianism- on the Islamic soil have only created more puzzles and riddles. In these tumultuous times, the Islamic teachings are being trampled to dust by the leaders and the priests. Consequentially, the contemporary Muslim youth is vulnerable to misguidance and susceptible to violence while confusing oneself with the belief that one is doing service to the religion. The guiding presence of a Divinely- raised soul- a Khalifatullah to lead the Muslim Ummah is, thus, a historic spiritual necessity.

In the Friday Sermon, the Khalifatullah (atba) goes on to indicate and describe the outlines of Islamic norms applicable to economic and social systems. Moderation, restraint, responsibility, trust and fellow feeling are among the principles of conduct pertaining to social relations and economic activities in Islam, points out the Khalifatullah (atba). The task is to translate these ethical and spiritual norms of Islam into enforceable measures and legal rules. There could, however, be debates about specific policies and particular measures needed to maintain social equilibrium between individual freedoms and collective responsibilities. Be that as it may, Islamic norms and values can cater to and adapt in, the dynamic environment of changing societies, points out the Khalifatullah (atba).

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“And We desired to show favour unto those who were oppressed in the Earth, and to make them examples and make them the Inheritors, and to establish them on Earth…” (28: 6-7)