Sunday, December 27, 2020

'Obey and Follow the Messenger'

Obedience to Allah & the Khalifatullah

 


“And whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger, and fears Allah, and is mindful of Him, it is they who will be successful.” (An-Nur 24: 53) 


The responsibility of the Messenger of Allah, the Khalifatullah is so great and vast and frightening that it reminds one of the commandments of Allah and His Messenger Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) to obey Allah and the divinely-appointed Messenger and to fear Allah and to obey Him in everything He has said and to regulate and live our lives as per His Instructions, in the Holy Quran and in the practices (Sunnah) and sayings or teachings (Hadiths) of His noble prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). 


Allah (swt) appoints His own representative (Khalifa). I have always believed in this, because the first Khalifatullah whom Allah (swt) sent was Hazrat Adam (as) with the Ruh’il Quddus (Holy Spirit) and by the grace of Allah this has been continued throughout the eras and Allah appointed Hazrat Dawud (as) as the Khalifatullah of his era, and this kind of divine appointment to caliphate is a continuous process for as long as humans exist on earth. So, I always believed that such divine-appointed and divinely-guided caliphs will come to guide men in the right path.

Saturday, December 26, 2020

The Importance of Prayer -III


When we are praying, i.e., when we are performing our Salat, duahs, the Darood Sharif and other prayers, they are mainly in Arabic, but it is not forbidden to submit your prayers (invocations) in your own language as well. Without this, you cannot progress! The Arabic as well as a good understanding of the Arabic is vital for the believer needs to know what he is saying and asking of God Almighty.

 

Prayers, which are submitted in humility and with full dedication, are accepted by Almighty Allah and the sins of such people are forgiven. God Almighty says: “Innal hasanaati yudhhib nas-say-yi aati.” (Surah Hud 11: 115) - i.e., Good deeds wipe out bad deeds. The real impact of the state of humility can only be achieved in one’s own language. So, now and then, do pray in your own language. The best prayer is Surah Al-Fatiha because it is a very comprehensive prayer. When a farmer is aware of farming tricks, then he always achieves a good crop. So, you should look for the Straight Path to Almighty God and pray: “O my Lord! I am a sinner, in deep trouble. Show me the right path.”

 

Minor and big matters, all, should be submitted without any hesitation to God. He is the only One Who can forgive. Pious are those who pray, and pray a lot. If you knock at a miser’s door constantly, even he is bound to listen to you one day. So, how is it possible that the Gracious and Merciful God will not reward you? A good beggar always manages to get the reward in the end. The second name of Salat is prayer. As God Almighty says:

 

“Wa idha sa alaka ibadi anni, fa inni qareeb. Ujeebu da’watad daa’ee idha da aaani, fal yasta jeebuulee, wal yuminuu-bee, la allahum yarshuduun.”

“When My servants ask you concerning Me, (tell them) I am very close and always listen to those who call upon Me; so they should answer My call too, and believe in Me, so that they may be guided aright.” (Al-Baqara 2: 187).

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Jalsa 2020: Special Address

 




Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim

My dear disciples,

Assalamoualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuhu.

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, it gives me great pleasure to join the Jalsa Salana International along with that of the Kerala Jamaat on this blessed day, 19th December 2020. Despite the overall COVID-19 situation prevailing, we are able to hold our Jalsa Salana in respect of the Islamic guidance as well as the government protocols in our respective countries. Bear in mind that the pandemic will become all the more serious in the coming year. Even though Mauritius is more or less free from the pandemic, in respect of local contaminations, I pray for all my disciples who are found in India and elsewhere in the world where the COVID-19 situation has become very serious. May Allah bless you all, protect you from every harm, and grant you such grace which will suffice for you in this world and the life to come. May Allah bless all my companions who are working day and night to further the cause of Islam around the world and enable them to march towards the victory of Islam through the guidance of Allah and His Khalifatullah of this era. Ameen.

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Qur'anic Commandments- 3

In times like ours, the world of ‘religion’ resembles every other arena of human affairs: a fertile field full of thieves, scamsters, fraudsters, scoundrels and speculators! Wishful thinking, metaphysical speculation and theological conjecture seem to ‘thrive’ on the bazaar of religions today. For instance, in our country (India) today, countless ‘godmen’ (and ‘godwomen’) literally capitalize on the ignorance and stupidity of gullible masses. Out to exploit the emotions and devotional sentiments of the people who flock to them, the religious fraudsters confuse and deviate the ignorant folks who come to seek respite from their everyday problems. Through deceitfully claiming nearness to God or presenting themselves as no less than 'Avtaar', promising welfare and spiritual salvation; the religious thugs rob the poor of their precious financial savings, and what not! It is as though a Qur’anic warning has come alive: “many rabbis and monks wrongfully consume people’s possessions and turn people away from God’s path.” (9:35). In South Asia and elsewhere, the moral decadence and corruption among the chiefs and the priests is found widely among all communities of the land- Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and the Muslims- today. 

Fortunately, Islam has a way  for reclaiming its original spiritual moorings even when its true legacy is twisted and corrupted at the hands of lesser men who "consume people’s possessions and turn people away from God’s path” (9:35). Muslims could go back and rediscover the spiritual treasures of their religion by seeking to know and understand the framework of Qur'anic ethics. To put at rest the metaphysical speculations and theological conjectures widely seen among other peoples- practices that have deviated the peoples from the correct appreciation of their own true spiritual doctrines-, the Qur'an emphatically declares that in ‘religion’, true guidance is the guidance of God. Whenever men interpret religion to suit their own whims and vanities (Bid'ah), as they will in every generation, there is a need for a stream of Divine Elects, to teach the Scripture and wisdom, and to purify the people morally and spiritually, through their own exemplary lives. The roots of the Islamic concepts of spiritual renewal, moral awakening of the Ummah, true succession to the Prophetic heritage, etc.- represented in the august spiritual office of 'Mujaddid', 'Muhyi-ud-Din', 'Khalifatullah', etc. claimed by Divine savants throughout the history of Islam-  can be traced back to the very philosophy of religion that Islam espouses. Whenever corruption and evil stalk the land, believers can be reassured by the fact that Allah (swt) will raise High representatives (24:56) to reclaim the True Legacy of Divine worship among the humans.

Indeed, the Book of Revelations, sent by God Almighty through His chosen messenger(s), set the criterion for distinguishing between good and evil. Inspired by the Holy Spirit (Roohul Quddus), the Heavenly-imbued souls who teach the Holy Book to their own people after their Prophet(s), strive to illumine the correct and straight path of life for the benefit of all around them. Most certainly, Divine guidance is built on solid foundations, and the Arc of the Prophets is firmly anchored on Divine waters. It is the obligation of the believers, individually and collectively, to implement the spirit of the Divinely-ordained code of conduct in their everyday life- be it in private and family spaces; in professional and social life; in community and national practices; in the rules and regulations a people abide by in the global comity of nations. Hence, it is important for the believers to be aware of Divine commandments and expectations so as to guard against evil, and to remain on the path of God- consciousness and prudence in life.