Finding ‘Balance’ in the Trials of Life

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) is reported to have said:

'This life is the dwelling of crookedness; not straightness, and the residence of sadness; rather than happiness. Those who acquire knowledge in its true reality will not feel joy in times of ease, nor grieve in times of hardship. 

Verily, Allah the Exalted has created this life as a test and the Hereafter as the dwelling of recompense. He made the test of this life a reason behind earning the reward of the Hereafter and the reward in the Hereafter as compensation for the test in this life. He takes so that He gives and tests so that He recompenses.

The life of this world vanishes rapidly and changes suddenly. Therefore, beware of its sweetness so as to avoid the bitterness of its depriving, and beware of its delights so as to avoid the pains they lead too. 

Do not excessively build a life that Allah has decided is bound to destruction, and do not recline to (or like) it. Verily, Allah has ordained on you that you should avoid its danger. Otherwise, you will expose yourselves to His Anger and justifiably earn His Punishment."

This prophetic wisdom is, in many ways, also a summation of the Qur’anic message on the fleeting nature of our fortunes in this world, and that everything is subject to a law of nature or the Divine Law. The Holy Qur’an says, “No misfortune can happen, either in the earth or in yourselves, that was not set down in writing before We brought it into being- that is easy for God- so you need not grieve for what you miss or gloat over what you gain.” (57: 23) Long ago, Luqman the Wise counselled his son to endure with fortitude what befalls and the Qur’an notes: “Bear anything that happens to you steadfastly” (31:17).

Our Wishes and Divine Expectations

The Qur’an alludes to the wisdom behind this balanced approach to our earthly life’s contingent circumstances- fortunes and misfortunes; situations that can and will evolve in the fullness of time in the life of a believer. With a deeply flawed sense of the human self- "foolish and unjust", according to the Qur'an- man is inherently incapable of making the wise decision as regards what is harmful or beneficial for him without Divine guidance. Our wishes, desires and inclinations are to be tempered in accordance with Divine commandments and expectations wherever applicable, depending on the varied circumstances of one’s life. 

Allah (swt) encourages the believers to trust in His better knowledge of how things will turn out to be in the end, and of what benefits a person in his present life and the Hereafter. Submission to God and adherence to Divine expectations would better serve and suffice the believer's larger interests, says the Qur’an in its own inimitable style: 

“You may dislike something although it is good for you, or like something although it is bad for you: God knows and you do not.” (2: 216)

“Live with them (your wives) in a goodly manner: if you dislike them, it may well be that you dislike something which God might yet make a source of abundant good." (4:20) 

One of the Divine revelations recieved by the Promised Messiah (as) in the previous era on the same theme is as follows: 

"God will bestow your reward in full and will be pleased with you and will perfect your name. And it is possible that you hold something dear, yet in reality it is harmful for you; and it is possible that you dislike something , yet in reality it is beneficial for you. God Almighty knows the end results of things and you do not know." [Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part IV, p. 391, UK: Islam Int'l Publications, (2016). 

Imam Ibn al Qayyim al-Jawziyya (691-751 AH; 1292-1350 CE), the medieval polymath and classical commentator of the Holy Qur’an, has left behind a deeply insightful exposition on this theme of the Qur’an, advising the believing servants on how to profit from these profound words of the Book of God.

Special Advice for Devout Muslims

On Divine Favours during the India Tour

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I am now back in Mauritius by the grace of Allah after a month spent in India – in Tamil Nadu and Kerala – filled with the divine blessings, favours, signs and revelations. I would like to thank all my dear disciples who have taken great care of my family and I during our visit in India. May Allah keep showering His blessings upon you and make manifest His great signs and revelations upon you, again and again. Ameen.

We should always remember the favours of Allah upon us. Allah says in the Holy Quran: “If you try to count Allah’s favours, you would never be able to enumerate them.” (An-Nahl 16: 19).

We can never count the favours of Allah upon us. The Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and indeed this present Divine Manifestation since its beginning in the form of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya Al Mouslemeen all received countless favours of Allah. Some seized that blessed favour and made it the essence of their lives while others rejected it.

And now, Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, during my visit in India my disciples of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have, witnessed great divine signs in the form of revelations upon this humble self and also on their own selves. They have in the aftermath of my fervent duahs on their behalf received and witnessed the descent of divine revelations, even in foreign language. Allahu Akbar.

This indeed is the true favour of Allah: REVELATIONS FROM ALLAH, whereby Allah talks and/ or conveys His messages and words of comfort to His servants. By the grace of Allah, those who remain ever firm in the Divine Manifestation of this era shall get this special blessing as a sign of my truthfulness, and Alhamdulillah, Allah listened to my prayer, and blessed some of my disciples with His revelations and blessed dreams in my presence among them and even after I left them and returned back to Mauritius. May Allah continue to guide and inspire all my disciples, be it in India and elsewhere in the world and make them true servants of Allah in every aspect of the word. Ameen.

Moral Values, Changing Times

Today we live in a time when the values ​​of yesteryears have almost disappeared. No more respect for the elders! For example, in the past, teachers were invaluable to their students (the latter had great respect for them), but nowadays this value is lost. Parents are unable to control their children despite religious preaching, the work of NGOs, and the advice of psychologists. Despite all efforts, the situation is not improving. We live in a changing society. With globalization, we are carried away by the current of modernization that takes us away from our values ​​of yesteryears.

The new generation is just following the evolution of society. In the past, schools, Madrasas, as well as parents played their role perfectly to maintain a balance between moral values ​​and the detrimental effects of modernization. But nowadays, parents have lost their authority over their children. Most children do not obey their parents anymore.

Why are our young people devoid of moral values? Could this be due to a loophole in our education system? Are we robotizing our young people through high technology? Politeness and courtesy are almost non-existent among young people. Where are the greetings of yesteryears that flowed from the bottom of our hearts, full of love and friendship?

So who is to blame? We should not play the blame game because all parties are to blame. The parents, the central core of the family have lost their connection with their children. Today, everything is allowed for children. There are no restrictions. Both father and mother are working and the children are left to their own devices without guidance and a good discipline. Now, in a highly technological world, the old-fashioned logic of family unity has given way to a global connection of people of all kinds. Although technology brings some benefits, but unfortunately we are dealing nowadays with its multiple disadvantages as well, those that ruin the physical, moral and spiritual health of children.

'Faith Entails Trials in Your Way'

Faith & the Strong Believer

Dear brothers, sisters and children, for today’s Friday Sermon (Khutba Jumu’ah), it is very important that I talk to you about faith (Iman) and Islam and the difference between a weak believer and a strong believer.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: “Say, ‘You have not (yet) believed; but say (instead), ‘We have submitted,’ (We are Muslims) for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything’.” (Al-Hujurat 49: 15).

Indeed, Iman (faith) is the confession/ attestation (by the tongue) and acting (according to one’s responsibility) and Islam is confession (by the tongue) without acting.

It should be remembered that those who integrate the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam as Muslims and say that they believe in my advent as the Khalifatullah of the age need to make extra efforts to perfect their Islam and put this Islam into practice in their daily lives. Through the practice of Islam in your daily lives, true faith shall enter your hearts, and no doubt whatsoever, can come into those hearts to deviate you from the right path.

Very often, a Muslim – and I am specifically talking about my followers, the Sahih al Islam members – can feel that he is trying to do all the right things in his life so as to come close to Allah, and despite his various efforts, he is not able to succeed in his efforts and therefore he despairs of the mercy of Allah. He feels abandoned, and thus, he abandons his Salat (prayers) and all acts of worship due to his insecurity and doubts. Now, this is very wrong. This person should bear in mind that acquiring true faith is not an easy matter. He has to go through lots of trials, lots of fires, i.e. difficulties, so that his mettle, his capacities as a true Muslim and believer, and his faith in Allah may be victorious.

Remember, Allah always gives more trials and difficulties to those whom He loves the most. Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.” (Muslim).