Saturday, October 27, 2018

Belief in the Judgement Day


'Qiyamah' is coming 

Islam teaches us that every soul shall taste death. After a person’s death, his soul will reside in a world different from ours, called “Barzakh” until the Day of Judgement (Qiyamah). On that day, everyone will be gathered by Allah for the final account. The good believer will go to heaven while the bad servant will go to hell. To believe in this is a pillar of our faith (Iman). Therefore, a believer must learn about this subject and have conviction in it.

But to be precise, you must understand that each person shall witness his own Day of Judgement, and he will be among the group of his time, at the moment of his death. For example, in everyday life, we often learn of a calamity or other that has arisen and has made hundreds or millions of deaths. So, for these people, it’s their last hour on earth and they will face their Last Judgement after going through the “Barzakh” and from there on they will know their final destination.

But those who disbelieve say, ‘The Hour will not come to us.’ Say, ‘Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you’.” (Saba, 34 : 4).

Non-believers in general, apart from religions which were originally monotheistic, such as Judaism and Christianity, do not believe in life after death, in the Last Judgement because most of them believe that their life on earth is their only life and death will mean a definite end to their life, while others believe in reincarnation, i.e., they will be resurrected in different bodies, be it in human or animal form, and that they will return to earth again and again, instantly, or centuries after their present death. These conceptions about life and death that they hold are really wrong.

The Six Pillars of Islam

As Muslims we need to know and understand that our faith (Iman) rests on six pillars; Our faith in: Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers / Prophets, the Last Day of Judgement and Fate/ Predestination/ Destiny – and the fact that good and evil come through the knowledge, law and the creation of Allah, and the firm belief in life after death (the Resurrection) which are each an indisputable truth.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Why Follow A Mujaddid-II



"He who dies without having a pledge of allegiance (to the Imam/Khalifah) on his neck, dies the death of Jahilliyah."-- Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa)

'Allah’s Messenger (sa) said three times: May Allah’s mercy be upon my Caliphs.  The Companions said: ‘And who are your Caliphs, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘Those who revive my Sunna and teach it to the people!’" (According to al-Hasan bin ‘Ali (ra): Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq al-Kabir, 51/61)

"The obligation of appointing an Imam (Khalifah) is from the necessities of the Shari'ah that simply cannot be left." - Imam Al-Ghazzali

It is regrettable that most Muslims today are simply unaware of the deep verities of the Faith they otherwise claim to profess and even practice. People in their ignorance and stupidity usually remain satisfied with what they are habitually familiar with- inherited family traditions, ritual practices and the tales of dead and gone Divine savants in their communities. So much so that by their sheer negligence of profound teachings - especially those pertaining to the advent of Divinely-imbued souls to guide the Ummah in every era of Islam-, the folks do not recognize what they are missing out in experiential spirituality or the rich inner life that the Islamic Way promises to the Divine-seekers.  

Against this indifference of contemporary peoples stand the rich record of the past. Indeed through the millennium and more of Islamic history, the Divinely-raised Mujaddidin had left their imprints on Islamic spirituality in every era. As Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (ra) noted in one of his books: "A Mujadid appears at the end of every century, the Mujadid of the 1st century was Umar bin Abdul Aziz for establishing justice. The Mujadid of the 2nd century was Imam Shafi for explaining the Aqa’id and Fiqh. The Mujadid of the 3rd century was Abu Hasan al Ashari for formulating the sciences of Ahl us Sunnah and refuting the innovators. The Mujadid of the 4th century was Imam al Hakim and Al Baihaqi for laying the foundations in Hadith sciences and Abu Hamid Isfara’ini for spreading Ilm of Fiqh. In the 5th century was Imam Ghazzali for opening new paths in Fiqh, Kalaam and Tasawwuf. In the 6th century was Fakhr ud-Din Razi for spreading knowledge of Kalaam while Nawawi spread knowledge of Fiqh.” [Shah Walliullah in his Izalat al-Khafa]

Like many saints of Islam in the past, in the previous century, the Promised Massih and Mahdi Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian also offered layers of spiritual and logical explanations to ‘normalize’ the phenomenon of Divine Manifestations among the Muslim believers. Through his comprehensive and all pervading engagement with the spiritual doctrine in all its settings, the Promised Massih (as) has left behind an extraordinary range of explanations emphasizing the need for recognizing an Elect of God whenever such a person announces his spiritual mission of renewal of the Faith. The Promised Massih (as) noted that Allah (swt) maintained the institution of Reformers (Mujaddidin) after the Seal of the Prophets, because along with their own practical example, these personages command a spiritual attraction and influence, and virtue of the highest degree could be observed in their persons-  a path of spirituality that any thoughtful person would inherently find appealing. 

Friday, October 19, 2018

'Cultivate Refined Habits'


I have chosen to address you in this Friday Sermon today on “Perfecting Good Manners”. Every good Muslim must necessarily have a good behaviour and good manners in his everyday life. He must understand that good behaviour in this life on earth is essential to lead an honourable life. The Muslim, in addition, has the sacred duty to have a good behaviour because therein contains high moral values.

And these moral values ​​have a particular importance. They are signs of happiness and success here in this life on earth, but much more so in life after death. It has been reported that our beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “I have been sent to perfect good moral character.” (Musnad Ahmad).

He also said: “The dearest and the closest of you to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who will be best in behaviour.” (Tirmidhi).

When his companions questioned him about what most cause people to enter paradise, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) replied, Taqwa (piety, righteousness, fear of Allah) and good manners (or character).” (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah).

This is why Muslims must pay special attention to moral values ​​and must give them special importance because they represent the signs of happiness and success in this present life and in the hereafter.

Sunday, October 14, 2018

'Salat': Indispensable to Spiritual Life


'Salat': A Pillar of Islam 

Allah has established five pillars for the maintenance of the balance and strength of Islam, and Salat is the second, after the Shahada (Laa-Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadur Rassullullah); that is to say, the attestation of the oneness of God and the recognition of the status of Muhammad (pbuh) as the Messenger of Allah. As a result, all the good deeds we perform depend on Salat because it is the main prayer. So much so that even the other pillars such as fasting (Sawm), obligatory alms-giving (Zakaat) and the Pilgrimage (Hajj) depend on the Salat.

Narrated by Abu Huraira (ra) that our beloved prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “The first action for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded. If they are lacking, then he will have failed and lost.” (Tirmidhi).

Salat in other words is the key to the believer’s temporal and eternal success. Without the Salat, no one can access Allah, because Salat is the link, and even the essence of the relationship between man and his Creator. It is through the Salat that man can see God through the eye of God. It is the sacred rendezvous between the Creator and His creature, a daily appointment which is obligatory upon him. For the true believer, this meeting with the beloved is not a burden or a difficult task to accomplish, but a real pleasure, and as a result, he will reap the paradise and the eternal pleasure of God.