Segregation in Islam

To protect the dignity and privacy of individuals while respecting their need for engaging in social relations, the Islamic ethics of Taqwah prescribes ‘Pardah’, a code of conduct for unrelated men and women in their possible social interactions. These days such interactions take place on an everyday basis both on physical spaces- schools, colleges, universities, work places, transport vehicles, etc.- and on virtual spaces such as social media, online meetings, chatting networks, etc. This raises profound questions of practical guidance on related issues for the believers- men and women of faith. For instance, how should a boy or man behave towards a girl or woman he interacts with in the context of social media? Can a man shake hands with a woman and vice-versa in social settings? What about singing Nazms where men and women use their voices and can attract each other’s attention?

Recently, in a programme telecast over the Sahih Al Islam YouTube Channel, a number of issues of appropriate conduct and behaviour between unrelated men and women in social settings were put before Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius for guidance and clarification from the perspective of the Law of Shari’ah. 

Reproduced Below is the text of the Question and Answer session with Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) anchored by Tayyeba N.A. Saheba in July 2023.

Service to the Mosque

 

The Houses of Allah: Part 4  

Service to the Mosque is an act of tremendous blessings. In a Hadith narrated by Hazrat Anas (ra), the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said that the blessings of all good deeds of the Ummah were presented to him, even the blessing of removing a speck of dust from the Mosque. (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)

During the time of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), there lived an old Abyssinian lady who had made it her occupation to sweep and clean the Mosque. She died during the night time. The Sahaba buried her without informing the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). When he came to know about it, he was bewildered and made them understand that he should be informed whenever someone among the believers died and he went to the cemetery and prayed on her (i.e. either Duahs or the Janaza Prayer – as per different versions). (Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majah)

 

Cleaning the Masjid is an honourable act. Even the elder Sahaba such as Hazrat Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (ra) used to sweep and clean the Mosque. This blessed work should not be viewed with disdain and disgust as it is no ordinary menial work. For every speck or particle of dust removed from the Mosque, Allah rewards the one cleaning His House with great blessings.

Revelations of 19 July 2023

  

In a special message to members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International today, Hazrat Imam Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius shared recently received Divine revelations, and issued special guidelines for the social conduct of members; behaviour with proper respect towards Jamaat system; behaviour with mutual respect and trust towards each other, reassuring harmony and amity within the spiritual order. Extracts from the divine message is reproduced below:

Innaaa arsalnaaka bil-haqqi bashiiranw-wa naziiraa.

We have sent you with the Truth, 

as a bearer of glad tidings and as a Warner.

I am a Warner from Allah; 

I have been sent in this Era.

The blind and the seeing are not alike.

The believers have been called "the living" because by accepting the truth they receive a new life and the disbelievers are called "the dead" because by rejecting the prophet of Allah, the Divine manifestation and the truth which is the elixir of life eternal they bring spiritual death upon themselves.

It is not possible for the Khalifatullah of this Era to make those who have deliberately shut their hearts and ears listen to and accept the Divine Message.

Such people spiritually are dead and defunct as those buried in the grave.

Sanctity of the Mosque

  

The Houses of Allah- 3

Houses in the vicinity of the Mosque

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said that the house closest to the Mosque has greater significance over the house further away. By virtue of the blessings and lights of the Mosque, the homes in the vicinity of the Mosque and their inmates are also enveloped in this spiritual and celestial lustre and blessings. 

When there is a Mosque in the neighbourhood or vicinity of one’s house, it is incumbent for the residents to discharge their obligatory Salat in the Mosque, unless there is a clash of Aqeedah, and the people responsible for the caretaking of the Mosque do not allow Muslims who are not from their own Jamaat (faction in Islam) to perform prayer in their Mosque. But if there are no restrictions, and all Mussallis (Worshippers) are welcomed for prayer – as it should be – as Islam is the Way of Life of all Muslims, and its Mosques are for all Muslims as they are the Houses of Allah, thus, it is not permissible for those who live near those Mosques to bypass the Mosque, even to go to another Mosque to perform their Salat (prayer). That indeed is the Right (Haqq) of the Mosque, regardless of the people’s grievances and grudges.