‘Release Nasir Ahmad Sultani’

In his Friday Sermon of 11 May 2018 (24 Shabaan 1439 AH), Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) of Mauritius gave a profound discourse on the significance of the Holy Month of Ramadan to the fortunes of the Muslims. Drawing on episodes of sacred history, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) surveys the great obstacles early believers had to confront to establish Islam in its Arab heartland, especially in Ramadan of the years after the Hijra. Indeed the narratives of history testify that the companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) were fasting in Ramadan even as they were winning critical battles against the forces of evil and oppression in the land. Hunger, thirst, sex- no basic human needs could come in the way of great striving in pursuit of lofty responsibilities.  

Only those who know the past can shape the future. Through the vital lessons in sacred memory, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) calls our attention to the grave responsibilities of today. To confront the challenges being mounted by anti-Islam forces in the world and to create a just world where the Muslim Ummah as a whole can flourish, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) provides important advices and insights for the Muslim leaders of today. The spiritual discourse underscores the need for fostering the spirit of unity within the Ummah. This unity can only be forged by showing healthy respect for the diversity of thoughts and ideas among the various strands of Muslims today, especially by their States in their administrative and governance frameworks. Fundamental human rights such as freedom of speech and expression should be institutionally protected, with no one being allowed to sit in judgement over the faith/beliefs/convictions of others.  Pointing to the prevailing scenario of bewildering disunity, deepening sectarianism and intolerance, creeping injustice and social strife in the ‘Islamic’ world, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) exhorts the Muslims and their influential leaders to rise above their sectarian perceptions/ ‘majoritarian’ prejudices against their brethren in faith and to ensure justice for everyone regardless of their identity or personal beliefs.  

Illustrating his point, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) notes the searing irony of a State (Pakistan) claiming to profess ‘Islamic’ values in its Constitution and the Laws and yet denying the freedom of conscience and of expression to its own citizens. Unfortunately for the hapless people of Pakistan, the deadly poison of competitive politics over religious/sectarian identity has cast its long shadow over the integrity and fairness of the nation’s governance structures. Of late, the national criminal law is being wantonly and rampantly misused by thuggish/fascist elements in society to curtail human rights in the land- they seek to intimidate religious minorities- including the ‘Ahmadis’; arrest and imprison contrarian individuals for their personal opinions. Nasir Ahmad Sultani, the Pakistani Muslim citizen of Ahmadi sect who claims to be a recipient of Divine revelations in this era, has been arrested by the authorities under the notorious ‘Blasphemy Law’ and he remains imprisoned even after a year. This is a clear case of abuse and excess of the legal process. For, the State and the Law should have no business curtailing the freedoms of thought, belief, conscience, speech, expression of any individual. It is indeed the responsibility of the State and the Law to protect the various manifestations of free speech so long as there is no direct incitement to imminent violence. How should we look at a Law/State that behaves like a predator than a protector of human rights?

In a society that has politically sanctioned the murder/lynching of innocents in the name of ‘Allah’/ ‘Honour of the Holy Prophet’, etc., the imprisonment of a man for his opinions might seem trifle. The administrative/judicial measure of a period of imprisonment for the accused in ‘Blasphemy’ cases was apparently to ‘protect’ the ‘accused’ from the blood-thirsty Mullahs who are baying for human blood in public meetings! Such is the dire state of affairs in Pakistan that the country sits on the brink of losing its original moorings.

Hadhrat Khalifatullah’s timely appeal for justice and respect for human rights also contains within it a Divine warning for the Pakistani society. A society that does not tolerate religious diversity and respect freedom of conscience of individuals only ends up challenging Allah’s Grand Order of Things. In the name of their mundane power to define ‘legitimate religiosity’, they are playing ‘God’ and denying justice and rights of people! When a nation’s leaders exceed the bounds, they ignore common sense and the lessons of history, only to write its destiny in bloody conflicts and thereby they finish peace (‘Islam’) in the land with their own hands- see the fate of ‘Islamic’ nations in our times- Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, etc. Indeed it is for the righteous people-sincere believers- to stand up for the type of society they want to be, in Pakistan and beyond.

Ramadan in Islamic History

Alhamdulillahil Rabbil Aalameen, all praises belong to Allah Almighty, Master of the Heavens and Earth. We shall welcome once again by the grace of Allah the blessed month of Ramadan and Insha-Allah Ramadan will begin around 16 or 17 May 2018.

O Believers, Ramadan is a sacred month in which Allah (swt) constantly tries His creation and gives humanity the opportunity to attain infinite joy. Fasting is a complete purification and a means to develop awareness and recognition of the presence of Allah, and find His manifestation everywhere. And fasting allows the fasting person (i.e. the faster) to acquire more Taqwa and in truth Taqwa is a protection against all the plans of Satan, and against the suffering in this world.

Allah (swt) informs us: And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent. (At-Talaq 65: 3-4).

Many Muslims today have a bad conception of fasting and fasting activities. Fasters nowadays prefer to enter a state of semi-hibernation, and spend most of their time sleeping. If Muslims really fast for Allah and have a fear for their Creator, then they will certainly remain awakened to read the Holy Quran and when the time comes for prayer, they pray and remember Allah (through Zikrullah). But there are some who get up for prayer, but after that go to sleep again. This second sleep makes them become lazy, and then they lose the golden opportunity to purify themselves through spiritual activities and fully enjoy this blessed month. They lose this divine blessing.

Ramadan is a time of intense activity for the believer where he finds himself being rid of the constraints related to food. He is therefore free to do even more effort in the way Allah (swt), and give more time in meditation (Zikr), supererogatory prayers, and the reading in abundance of the Holy Quran. He can now control his ego, his passion (Nafs), become a wiser person, more humble and get away from all kinds of sins like spying on people and gossiping about them etc. On the contrary, they must seize this opportunity to get away from all disputes (useless discussions, quarrels, hatred, jealousy, and doubts). You must focus more on doing good deeds and asking Allah's forgiveness (Istigfaar) for all your sins so that the Creator forgives you of your sins and accept your fasts and acts of worship (Ibadat).

Ramadan in history

If you know the history of Islam and Ramadan in history, then you should know that our beloved Prophet Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) lived close to nine Ramadan after the Hegira where every Ramadan was filled with very important decisions and showed us an example of sacrifice and submission to Allah (swt). 

Shareefa Beevi Saheba (1951-2018)

Shareefa Beevi Esmail Saheba, the respected wife of Mukarram Amir Jamaluddin Saheb of the Kerala South Jamaat, passed away on the early morning of Thursday, the 10^th of May, 2018---23 Shabaan 1439 AH. Innal-Lilaahi wa inna ilayhi raajiuun.

Born in October 1951, Shareefa Saheba was 67 years of age at the time of her death. She was not keeping well for some months now, and the end came while she was sleeping peacefully at home. Indeed the angels came home to call her back to Allah (swt), like the Qur’an attests about the Divine decree regarding the course of all human souls: “Allah takes the souls at the time of their death; and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought” (39:43).

At home, daughter Fauzia Jamal Saheba led the other women of the family in giving a proper bath to the dead body as per Islamic rites. The funeral prayer (Salaat al-Janazah) was performed under the leadership of her husband Mukarram Amir Jamaluddin Saheb of the Kerala South Jamaat after their son Fazil Jamal and family reached home from Delhi in the late afternoon. Remaining members of the family, members of the South Jamaat, close relatives and even other Muslims outside of the Jamaat also joined the Janaza prayers at the historic Noor'ul Islam Masjid, Mathra and soon thereafter, the dead body was buried at the burial space enclave adjacent to the Masjid complex before sunset. May Allah (swt) illumine her tomb, Aameen.  

Islam: Dark Clouds, Silver Lining

The situation in the world is extremely worrying for all Muslims (and all my disciples in Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam) and I am again reminding you all to pray earnestly that Allah (swt) may remove the dangers which face Islam which is being encircled by dark clouds which only God can remove whenever He pleases.

There is nowhere in the world where Muslims are not in danger directly or indirectly and we do not see any intelligent Islamic response. There is only one despicable response which they know: persecuting their own Muslim brethrens and finishing Islam by their own hands. In addition to the civil wars and the religious strife which they wage between themselves but when it concerns the Divine Manifestation and the belief in the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) and in this era this humble self the Khalifatullah, all the Muslim sects don't hesitate to group together to counter-attack what they term as heretics. It is on this basis that they seem to agree and help each other to crush the divine truth. Since the advents of non law-bearing prophets/ messengers after Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), they seem to have lost their bearings when they denied and calumniated the men of God.