'Seek God Through Prayer'

By the grace of Allah, I continue the subject-matter of my Friday Sermon which I started last week in Kerala.

Wa aqimis-Salaata tarafayin-nahaari wa zulafam minal-layl; innal hasanaati yuzhibnas saiyi-aat; zaalika zikraa liz-zaakiriin.

And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember. (Hud, 11: 115).

In the Holy Quran, in verse 115 of chapter 11 (Surah Hud) which I have just recited before you, it is stated that ‘hasanat’, that is, good deeds, remove one’s shortcomings. Here by ‘hasanat’ is meant Salat and the presence of heart and mind during Salat. Such presence is achieved by imploring and beseeching God in one’s own language. The best prayer is Surah Al-Fatiha because it is a complete prayer. When the farmer has learnt the skill of farming, he would then be on the right path of farming and he will be successful. Likewise, you should seek the right path that leads to a union with God and you should pray to Him saying, “O Allah, I am a sinful servant of Yours and am miserable and worthless. Please guide me, for You alone can guide me. I need Your help for You alone can help me.”

You should present all your needs, be they great or small before Allah because He alone is the Provider. He who prays the most and with complete sincerity and humility, is the most good. If a person were to beg every day at the door of the most mean person, one day he too would give something. Why then would a person not find what he asks at the door of God Almighty Who is the Most Generous, without comparison. It is the case that he who asks, does eventually receive.

Spirituality, Peace and Social Harmony

To coincide with the visit of Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius to India, the Peace Park Special School at Mathra (an initiative of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala) organized an Inter-Faith Conference on 'Spirituality, Peace and Social Harmony' on Thursday, January 19, 2017. 

Along with the Seminar, the School also initiated the idea of establishing a 'Spiritual Library' where the religious literature and spiritual traditions of various communities  could be assembled for the benefit of its readers and for the purpose of facilitating critical reflections on the original texts, so far as they are available today. At the end of the Seminar, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba)of Mauritius recieved on behalf of the School Spiritual Library the many books gifted by different individuals and organizations. 

At around 3.00 pm, Amir Jamaat Mukarram Jamaluddin Raother Saheb, who is also the Manager of the Peace Park Special School, made welcome remarks to the gathering. President of the Karavalur Panchayat, Mr. V. Rajan, inaugurated the Seminar. Elected representatives of the village, social workers, leaders of different community organizations and members of different religious denominational groups attended the meeting. Those who spoke on the occasion include the following: Arjunan Pillai, Sasidharan, R. Vijayan Pillai, G. Suresh Kumar, K.A. Nebu and Tamimul Ansari. Fazil Jamal Saheb performed the Vote of Thanks at the end of the function, in addition to introducing the chief guest Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) to the local community of people who were present on the occasion, besides our Jamaat members. (Inset: News item on the event, Malayala Manorama Newspaper, January 21, 2017, Kollam Edition (Kerala), p.2). 

The highlight of the event was the Inter-Faith Message of the Khalifatullah (atba). In his sermon, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) focused on the vast, common ground of shared values and humanistic teachings across all major religions and cultural systems, even as he explained the philosophical roots of the Islamic way within the larger Divine scheme of Guidance across time, nations, languages and communities. 

'Zikr': The Pathway to God

In the course of his recently concluded Tour of India in the second half of January 2017, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius spoke profoundly and movingly on themes of spiritual discipline and progress, addressing both his disciples and other seekers of higher spiritual wisdom. Over the course of several sessions of engagement with his disciples, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) elaborated on the subject of 'Zikrullah', arguably the most important method for the spiritual elevation of the human soul. Based on deep personal experiences of being in a state of 'Zikr' and being vouchsafed with frequent Divine revelations, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) explains the subtle points of practical wisdom to be deployed in the human quest for acceding to the Higher Presence and exhorts one and all to partake of the Divine treasures by following the ways and means of 'Zikr' elaborated here. 

Reproduced below is the main text of the Speech delivered on the morning of January 17, 2017 at the Noor'ul Islam Masjid, Mathra: 

My dear disciples and seekers of truth,

May the Peace and Blessings of God Almighty (Allah) be upon you.

I have chosen today to address you through one of the revealed texts I received from Allah on the Remembrance of God Almighty (in Arabic, the personal name for God is Allah, whose name literally means The One without any associate, without any partner). Holy is His name and most powerful is He above all creations.

O Allah! Pour down Your blessings on Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family and his companions, and may them be in peace always! Praise be to Allah Who opens sealed hearts by His remembrance, His thoughts, the Zikr of His name.

Zikrullah, that is, the Remembrance of God Almighty is the greatest Zikr (that is, Remembrance) which can exist.

Verily, the remembrance of Almighty Allah is the key to salvation; it is the light, the lamp which illumines the soul by the grace of Allah, the Generous One, the Victorious One. The remembrance of Allah is the foundation of the path leading to Allah. It is the central pivot which holds fast to the wise people who have realised the existence of Allah.

'Life' in the Time of a Divine Servant

The Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius, along with the blessed members of the Household, recently visited India, January 16-30, 2017. During this tour of India, the Khalifatullah (atba) freely met with his sincere disciples and well-wishers and on several occasions, even addressed the members of the public, bestowing them with his august prayers and generous advices on leading an ethically-oriented, spiritually-rooted harmonious life under Islam.

What does it mean to live in the time of a Vicegerent of Allah, a Divine Elect, a Renewer of Faith? How does such belief in the appearance of Divine Elect relate to the Islamic doctrine? Can a lay person progress in faith in the time of a Prophet of Allah? Reproduced below is a speech delivered by Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) at the Noor'ul Islam Masjid at Mathra (Kerala, India), addressing his disciples from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, who were gathered at the Mosque during the days of his stay at Mathra, January 16-21, 2017.  

My dearest disciples who are present today,

Assalamoualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuhu.

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, it is indeed a great blessing upon you that Allah has enabled this humble self to appear in your time and has vouchsafed me the instruction to come to you and address you here in Kerala. It is indeed a pleasure for me to be among you today and talking to you face to face.

These days the grace of God descends from heaven, signs appear and exiled faith returns to its home of jewels from the mine of divine sciences which are widely distributed. This is a time when the unbelievers begin to tremble with fear and tears of joy fill the eyes of believers. It is time to wake up those who are asleep so that they may benefit from this spiritual joy and blessing. This is the moment when a person must choose between accepting and denying. The faces of those who have agreed to be part of this divine blessing are filled with joy, while those who have turned their backs to the divine truth and messenger look dark and sad. Alas for them! If only they knew what they are missing!

How to Progress in Matters of Faith

The Road to Progress

It is my duty to advise to those who have taken the oath of allegiance and enter in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, be it here in Kerala and elsewhere in the world, and I will say the same thing as Hazrat Massih Ma’ud Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) has said before me because I am the true servant and messenger of Allah and an obedient follower of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and the Promised Messiah (as). In this era, Allah (swt) has raised this humble self as the Khalifatullah, to continue the work of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and that of the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as).

So, my dear disciples, here (in Kerala) and around the world who have taken the oath of allegiance and enter in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, let me remind you that the initiation itself is like sowing the seed of goodness. If a gardener does not take care of his newly planted trees and seedlings, neither watering them nor protecting them, his plants would go to waste. Similarly, Satan is always there with human beings so that if a person does not take care to protect the good deeds he has performed, they will go to waste. 

All people including the Muslims, perform the duties of their religion but they do not make any progress. The reason for this is that they do not think of developing further their sphere of good acts and hence their deeds enter the fold of custom and tradition.

Khalifatullah visits India: A Report

Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) visits India

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, India was established and officially registered with the government in the State of Kerala in the year 2010, with the Bai’at of our brother Mukarram R. Jamaluddin Raother Saheb of Mathra (presently Amir Saheb of the South Kerala Jamaat), Dr. E. Tahir Saheb of Kannur (presently Amir Saheb of the North Kerala Jamaat),  and other brothers in Alappuzha. It has been a longstanding wish of the members of the Jamaat in Kerala to meet with the Divinely-inspired and appointed Muhyi-ud-Din of this era, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius, ever since the time Allah (swt) blessed them with the light of faith to recognize and accept His Messenger of the era. 


Alhamdulillah, it is this cherished spiritual wish of the sincere believers that has come to fruition with the visit of the Khalifatullah (atba) and the blessed family members. The Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah of Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International, Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius and the blessed members of the Household- Ummahaatul Mu’mineen Hazrat Nazira Begum Saheba, Hazrat Fazli Amena Varsally Saheba (International Sadr, Siraj Makin) Hazrat Tayyeba Shaheeda Nasrine Aliah Saheba and Sahebzada Abdul Muhaymin Alimuddin  Salim Azim- paid a historic visit to India, January 16-30, 2017. The visit took place under the Will and grace of Allah (swt) in the dawn of a new year, literally marking a new page in the Book of Time and the evolving spiritual lives of all members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, India. The journey of these blessed messengers of His Deen through India took place despite several hurdles, with the shadow of Divine help and special assistance, making every moment of the two- weeks stay in India, a spiritually uplifting experience for all those who were in the circle of the Divine Manifestation during those days, Soumma Alhamdulillah. 

In the coming days, the Sahih Al Islam Blog intents to celebrate and record this important event in the annals of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, India with the publication of a series of brief reports capturing the journey experiences and conversations, including the photos taken on the occasion by people who travelled along and chronicled the events and encounters with people as it happened, Insha Allah, Ameen.  In the first of this series today, we record the arrival and welcome of the visiting Team at Chennai and their journey to the Noor’ul Islam Masjid at Mathra, Kerala on Monday, 16^th of January 2017. 

Arrival at Chennai, Tamil Nadu

On their arrival at the Chennai International Airport on Monday, January 16th, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) and family members were warmly received by the delegates of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala: Hazrat Mukarram Fazil Jamal, wife Haseena M. Fazil Saheba and their little son Zaki Mubarak Aziz Raother. Haseena M. Fazil Saheba, who holds the charge of Sadr, Siraj Makin of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam-South Kerala, was there also to receive the Ummahatul Mu'mineen. Though living in different continents all their lives and never met in person before, Allah (swt) brought them together under the leadership of His Elect of this era, with a blessed chance to "know one another as relatives from the same origin", like the Qur'an exhorts in Surah Al Hujurah. For our brother and his family, they have been regularly in touch with Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) and the Jamaat headquarters in Mauritius and official website over the course of the last six years almost on a daily basis; and yet, it was indeed their first, personal meeting with Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) and family and as such, it was a truly emotionally-overwhelming moment for them; where the hearts spoke louder than anything tongues could express through words, Alhamdulillah. 

Divine Revelation in Broad Day Light


Divine love and mercy for His Elect came in the broad day light of Chennai Airport and this humble self became a witness to the descent of Divine revelations on the Holy Master. At the Transit Lounge in the Chennai Airport, while waiting for the flight to Thiruvananthapuram, the whole team of eight people offered the collective prayers of Dhuhr and Aser. Soon, thereafter, Allah (swt) manifested His Grace and the Khalifatullah (atba) was vouchsafed with revelations in Arabic, containing good news for the sincere believers in the Divine Manifestation, including for a young member of the Team and also for Mathra, where the historic Noor’ul Islam Masjid, is located as the centre of all Jamaat activities of our brothers in the south of Kerala, Insha Allah, Aameen. 

Thiruvananthapuram 

Later, the team took the afternoon Air India Express flight to Thiruvananthapuram, capital city of Kerala. At Thiruvananthapuram, brothers including Azim Ahmed, Rakesh and Hamza, turned up at the international airport to register their enthusiasm to welcome the Khalifatullah (atba) and family to Kerala. Representatives of the South Jamaat, YK Harriz Saheb of Alappuzha, Shamsuddin Saheb of Palakkad, Sulfikar Ali Saheb of Kaliyikkavila soon reached the place with a Tempo Traveller to facilitate the transit journey of the Khalifatullah (atba) and Team to the Noor’ul Islam Masjid, Mathra, Alhamdulillah. 

Mathra

The Team reached at Mathra by 9.30 pm in the night. The Jamaat members, led by Amir Mukarram R. Jamaluddin Saheb and his family members- Shareefa Beebi Saheba, Sofiya Beebi Saheba, DA Zainul Abdeen Saheb, Fauzia Jamal Zain Saheba, Faezah Maryam Zain Saheba and Zachariah Ibn Zain- were there to receive and welcome Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) and family at the Fathima’s Thodiyil Veedu, the residence of the Amir Saheb where the Team were to stay till their departure to other places on the morning of Saturday, 21st January 2017. Our brothers K. Saleem Saheb and Abu Baker Saheb of Alappuzha travelled from their respective places well ahead of time so as to join the Amir Saheb and family at Mathra in welcoming our Imam, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) and the respected members of the household into our land,Alhamdulillah.  

Like wise, our brother Sadiq Ali Saheb of Kaliyikkavila along with his wife Rajeena Sadiq Ali Saheba and little son Munir Ahmad Azim- also travelled long distances to witness the arrival of the Imam (atba) and family members. Shareefa Beebi Saheba, the respected mother of Fazil Jamal, had many months back made a beautiful dream in which she saw Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) and family arriving at her home in a big vehicle. Allah (swt) blessed the dream in full measure: despite her frail health, Shareefa Saheba was there to warmly receive Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) and the respected family members at her home,  Summa Alhamdulillah.  (To be continued).

Journeys of Life: A Qur'anic Prayer

      “O my Lord, make my entry a good entry,

       and make me go forth a good going forth. 
       And grant me from Yourself a helping power.” 
                    ---(Al-Isra, 17: 81).

This prayer was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) before his migration from Mecca to Medina. Within it lies a prophecy about his eventual return as well as his migration. It also contains a much wider meaning. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was persecuted for thirteen years in Mecca and it was for this reason that he migrated to Medina. He would depart with the truth and return with the truth.

The question arises as to why his return has been mentioned before his departure. God in His wisdom, did not want the Holy Prophet (pbuh) to suffer for a moment the thought that he might have to leave Mecca permanently. His re-entry has been mentioned first to make it more definite and to assure him that he would return and so have no reason to grieve and worry. This prayer also reveals the circumstances under which the Holy Prophet (pbuh) would have to leave Mecca. His opponents had branded him as a liar, fabricator and a false prophet. The welcome he received in Medina bore witness to his truth. With reference to Medina the verse implies that the people would bear witness to his truth and so would the people of Mecca on his return. This would result from his prayers and the exclusive help of God. 

This prayer should also be offered with regard to all journeys. The Quranic prayers have a wide meaning and may be offered in connection with various matters. Whatever prayer the Quran relates, a particular event or situation may also be applied to more or less similar kinds of situations which occur in daily life. This was the practice of the Holy Prophet and his companions.

Another aspect of this prayer relates to the continuing changing conditions in a person's life. These changes can move from bad to good or vice-versa. Also in the previous verses God has revealed prayerful guidance by which means the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) may rise to great spiritual height:

“Establish regular prayers -
at the decline of the sun till the darkness of the night, 
and the morning prayer and reading: 
for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony. 
And pray in the small watches of the morning: 
(it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for you: 
soon will your Lord raise you to a Station of Praise and Glory!”
 ----(Al-Isra 17: 79-80).

Everyone who wants to fly high spiritually should offer the prayer regularly and understand its meaning properly otherwise he would be liable to go astray as was the case with Balam son of Baura who was a righteous man and who was lured away from piety by worldly attractions and subsequently suffered disgrace.