Text Box: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Friday Sermon ON THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) (SEERAT-UN-NABI) HAZRAT AMIR’UL MOMENEEN MUHYI-UD-DIN AL KHALIFATULLAH Munir Ahmad Azim 05 March 2010 (18 Rabi’ ul Awwal 1431 Hijri) (Summary of Friday Sermon) After having greeted everybody with the Salutations of Peace, the Khalifatullah read the Tashahhud, Taouz and Surah Al Fatiha and then he said: لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا ۝ “Laqad kaana lakum fii Rasuulil-laahi uswatun hasanatul-liman kaana yarjullaaha wal yawmal aakhira wa zakarallaaha kasiiraa.” Certainly you have in the Apostle of Allah an excellent model for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much. (Chapter 33 Verse 22) وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ ۝ “Wa maa arsalnaaka illa rahmatal-l-lil ‘aalameen” And We have hot sent you but as a mercy to the worlds. (Chapter 21 Verse 108) Nowadays many people seek grand lifestyle and popularity and when they reach their goal, the majority of people take them as god on earth and thus they become haughty, arrogant; they develop such qualities which Allah hates. To better understand what I am saying, all of you know that the Muslim Community celebrated Eid Milad-un-Nabi on Saturday 27 February 2010 and it is sad to see that a so-called defender of Islam, along with his acolytes has reached such a despicable position when they talked politics on a day meant to talk of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They used this day to honour the present government, telling people to vote the actual government again. Who is he, a religious leader or a chief agent of the government? Instead he should have seized the occasion to talk about our beloved prophet of Islam, about his noble character, and the noble teachings he preached. It was a great opportunity for him to give explanations on the religion of Allah which He has perfected (that is, Islam) and on the Prophet of Allah, because there were dignities of various religions present there. He should not have mixed the pure religion of Islam with dirty politics. Islam is such a religion established by Allah with pure teachings and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) being a perfect model in all aspects. We cannot find fear of Allah reflecting in these kinds of people, who are fighting to stay in power, to fool the people, make them forget all their past sufferings and making as if they are fighting for the interest of the people. A so-called religious leader who comes from Pakistan does not hesitate to talk about politics on the mimbar of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the greatest of his deeds consists to insult the Promised Messiah (on him be peace) and create hatred in the hearts of Muslims against Ahmadi Muslims on a day meant to talk about the Holy Prophet of Islam (they call it Eid-Milad-un-Nabi) – this is the main work of this man and his acolytes. Moreover, he forgets who had really stood like a lion to defend the honour of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when Islam and its noble prophet had been trampled under the feet of other religions. It’s Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (May Allah be pleased with him), the second caliph of the Ahmadiyya Movement who began the Yaum-un-Nabi, and afterwards the other Muslims followed suit and when they began to take this day to heights against the teachings of Islam, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him), then the Jamaat Ahmadiyya preferred to call the conferences made on the life of the Holy Prophet as Sirat-un-Nabi, to honour his life and character, as the best of mankind, a perfect example for all mankind, especially the Muslims. I give this so-called defender a severe warning against what he and his acolytes from Pakistan are doing. Do the work which you are supposed to do, you and your people; Mauritius is not Pakistan. When you come, come in a good way, do not talk nonsense against Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (on him be peace) and his Jamaat (the Jamaat Ahmadiyya) and at the same time you are trying to sweet talk the government and other political parties to ignore Ahmadi Muslims, to boycott them everywhere they go, and at the same time creating problems for Ahmadi Muslim ladies, forbidding them from attending Jummah prayers, and creating problems for the men also, because according to them, Ahmadi Muslims are not Muslims! What he is actually doing is totally against the teachings of Islam and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) never did teach these behaviours to his Ummah. This so-called defender of Islam and his acolytes are not stopping creating hatred. If he and his Mullahs do not stop with their hatred, Allah shall seize them with His wrath. It would be better for them to stop profanation of hatred and to seek Allah’s forgiveness for all their bad deeds. Now my brothers, sisters and children, I continue on the life and character of our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I will talk on some aspects of his character. When a Muslim describes the character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), he has the tendency to exaggerate that description. And the prophet (peace be upon him) gave severe warnings to those who lie about him, for this is a grievous matter, and he forbade people to exaggerate on his person. He used to say: “Do not exaggerate my praise…, I am just a servant. So, say about me – the servant of Allah and His Messenger.” The wife of Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) – Hazrat Aisha Siddiqua (May Allah be pleased with her) described the character of the Holy Prophet as the personification of the Holy Quran; that is, if we want to know his character, we can find it in the image which the Holy Quran describes the perfect man. Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a tender heart man, generous; he never disappoint someone in need. When he had something, he never refused to give it to others; when he did not have anything, he used to make the necessary arrangements for them. He always kept his word, and he was very polite. When he dealt with people, he showed moderation, gentleness and consideration. He had great respect for his companions and he never created problems for them or disturbed them. He was so considerate and respectful towards others, that when he had to go out at night, he would put on his shoes, open the door and go out silently; he never disturbed the sleep of the members of his household, and when after a long day he returned home at night, he did not disturbed his family members if they were asleep. When he walked on the streets, or anywhere else, he used to lower his gaze, and when he was walking along with people, he never went forward. He was always the first to greet others and he always sat in a position which showed humility. He took his food like the poor, that is, he never ate to his fill. Aisha, the wife of the Prophet narrated that that there were times when the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him) – his wives and children – remained without lighting fire to cook food. There was only dates and water for them to eat. A companion of the Prophet, Abu Talha once suffered from pangs of hunger, and to attract the pity of the Prophet of Allah (so that he may pray for him), he lift his shirt to show one stone tied around his stomach. Upon seeing this, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lifted his shirt and showed that two stones were tied around his own stomach, showing how much more hungry he was – tying stones round one’s stomach was an Arab custom to show the degree of one’s state of hunger. About his humility: Once there was a woman who told the Prophet that she had to meet him personally about a matter which was worrying her. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) told her: “You shall find me, if you desire to talk to me in any road of Medina.” This means that through his humility the Holy Prophet exposed that people did not need appointment with him to meet him. He was available for all people (men, women and children) in times of need (to give advices, resolve their problems etc.) He was a simple man who did not hesitate to visit the sick ones, and he did not differentiate between people when he had to assist a funeral (whether he was a believer or non-believer) – he was the first one to show sympathy. About his journeys, he did not hesitate to go on a mule; he never made exigencies that he had to ride only horses or camels, like we witness nowadays, there are chiefs who demand that they ride in luxurious cars along with bodyguards. This is a great example of simplicity and humility which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) left for us. He moreover used to accept with pleasure the invitation extended to him by the slaves. This gives us an idea how people used to ignore and treat the slaves of those days, and how they used to torture them, taking them as lowly people. Our Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) gave a great lesson to humanity, that he responded to the invitations of the slaves and sat down with them. Nowadays, when an employee at home or a mere servant at work extends an invitation to you, you consider them as lowly people, ignoring their invitation, for you consider yourselves as superior to them and cannot accept lowly people’s invitation! But if the same invitation was extended by a rich family, influential people, you would never miss an opportunity to grace their invitation with your presence! Allah and His Prophet do not judge according to appearances! Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) left extremely important examples in the life of each Muslim who says that he or she believes in Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Even when the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) received invitations to eat food which do not have good taste like barley bread and rancid butter, he used to go and honour these invitations. He never critic food which his host gives him, and did not waste it, unlike what we see nowadays in His Ummah! This is an example of the Prophet which the Muslims must follow. He used to possess a chain mail (garment used for protection in times of war) which he pawned to a Jew, and he never succeeded to recuperate it. He went to Hajj sitting on an old camel, and was covered in a sheet not exceeding 4 dirhams. He asked of Allah: “O my Allah, make this become such a pilgrimage where I seek neither praise nor grandeur.” According to the testimony of Hazrat Ali (May Allah be pleased with him), when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was at home, he used to divide his time into three parts: one part for Allah, one for his family and the rest for the need of other people. He used to respond to their call, and did not neglect them. In the part he reserved for the community, he used to make the deserving ones enter first, after they took his permission. There were among these people those who had a single demand or several ones (for example, to obtain things from the treasury or booty of war). It’s like this that he used to take care of them and he used to give them work which were for the benefit of the community. He told them words for their own benefit. He told them: “Those present, inform those absent. And make me aware of your demands, the requests of people who cannot come. The one who give to a leader the request of a person who cannot personally do so, Allah will reaffirm his feet on the Day of Judgement…” When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to go out, he made it a duty not to mingle in the private affairs of people. He made people love him, and did not repel them. He honoured people through the good qualities which they possessed and nominated them as chiefs or leaders to guide others. He cared for these people, without depriving them from the good which he possessed. He always used to enquire about the position or problems of his companions, and he made it a must to know how they are coping with the difficulties of life. He used to praise the good people and encourage them and blame the despicable ones and used to reprimand them so that they may change. He was regular in his works, and did not miss to do his works in the proper way. He used to listen to the people, and respond to their calls, and did not let them fall into difficult situations. He was ever ready to face all sorts of situations! He was not a negligent man, and he knew all the works to be done… The ones to whole great esteem in his heart were those who followed his advices and propagate his words to others. Those whom he put in a high rank were those who were more generous than others and who extended their help to those who need them. Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not someone who used to swear; his character was flawless, and he was not someone to yell in public places like the market place. He did not payback an evil with an evil, but he used to forgive and forget. He used to spend his nights in prayer till his feet got swollen. Most of the time he was silent, and he did not talk in vain. He used to talk in a clear manner so that people may well understand what he said and memorize his words. Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) was very often sad, worried (because of the great responsibility on his shoulders) and did not have enough rest. He used to start and stop talking in the name of Allah. He did not vex people with his language. He used to define the importance of good things, however small it may be. He never looked at food or drink which was given to him, critically. He did not became angry with things connected with this temporal world, but when the right of someone had been trampled upon, he got so angry and his anger did not fade until justice has been done to the victim. For things which concerned him, he did not manifest any anger, and he never took something for his own advantage. And when he was annoyed with someone, or offended, he simply turned his face away, without replying. When he was happy, he used to lower his gaze and smile. Whenever he went in a meeting, he used to sit where space was available; he never looked for a special place to sit. He never did hesitate to do manual housework. He used to milk the ewes, washed his clothes and even repaired his own shoes. The Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) became the king of Arabia, but he did not put any crown on his head, and did not imprint his face on coins. He always maintained a simple and modest life through his existence on earth. When asked to send curse on someone, he used to reply: “I have not been sent to curse people, but I have been sent as a Mercy for all mankind.” On the day of his greatest victory over his enemies, this was also the greatest victory over himself. He forgave all his enemies who persecuted him and the believers atrociously. To end this sermon, I shall cite the wordings of a great French poet, Alphonse de Lamartine, a member of the French Academy, written on the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in his book, “Histoire de la Turquie”. “Never has a man set for himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, a more sublime aim, since this aim was superhuman; to subvert superstitions which had been imposed between man and his Creator, to render God unto man and man unto God; to restore the rational and sacred idea of divinity amidst the chaos of the material and disfigured gods of idolatry, then existing. Never has a man undertaken a work so far beyond human power with so feeble means, for he (Muhammad) had in the conception as well as in the execution of such a great design, no other instrument than himself and no other aid except a handful of men living in a corner of the desert. Finally, never has a man accomplished such a huge and lasting revolution in the world, because in less than two centuries after its appearance, Islam, in faith and in arms, reigned over the whole of Arabia, and conquered, in God’s name, Persia Khorasan, Transoxania, Western India, Syria, Egypt, Abyssinia, all the known continent of Northern Africa, numerous islands of the Mediterranean Sea, Spain, and part of Gaul. If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws, and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls. The idea of the unity of God, proclaimed amidst the exhaustion of the fabulous theogonies, was in itself such a miracle that upon it’s utterance from his lips it destroyed all the ancient temples of idols and set on fire one-third of the world. His life, his meditations, his heroic revelings against the superstitions of his country, and his boldness in defying the furies of idolatry, his firmness in enduring them for fifteen years in Mecca, his acceptance of the role of public scorn and almost of being a victim of his fellow countrymen: all these and finally, his flight his incessant preaching, his wars against odds, his faith in his success and his superhuman security in misfortune, his forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold the unity of God and the immateriality of God: the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with words. “Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, Restorer of Rational beliefs…. The founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?” (Histoire de la Turquie, Paris 1854, Vol. 11 pp. 276-277) This is in brief what a non-Muslim has written on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), after having well studied his life, but we Muslims, up till now, we do not really know the true value of our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). On the contrary, the majority of Muslims are trampling under their feet his teachings, and are fabricating their own teachings, thus bring the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) towards its lost. May Allah spare us from these so-called teachings (invented by so-called defenders of Islam) and make us remain and grip firmly the teachings of the Holy Prophet