Text Box: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Friday Sermon HAZRAT AMIR’UL MOMENEEN MUHYI-UD-DIN AL KHALIFATULLAH Munir Ahmad Azim 28 May 2010 (13 Jamadal Aakhir 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: اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ ﴿2﴾ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ﴿3﴾ اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ ﴿4﴾ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ ﴿5﴾ عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ﴿6﴾ Iqra ‘bismi Rabbikallazii khalaq, Khalaqal-insaana min ‘alaq. Iqra’ wa Rabbukal ‘Akram, ‘Allazii ‘allama bil-Qalam, ‘Allamal ‘insaana maa lam ya’-lam. Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is Most Honourable, Who taught (to write) with the pen, Taught man what he knew not. (Chapter 96 Verses 2-6) These are the very first words of revelation which were bestowed upon the Noble Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him). The instructions therein are very explicit. Though Allah knew very well that His Servant Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) neither knew how to read and write yet He made angel Gabriel instruct him to read or recite and through this instruction made him know of the tools of knowledge. Revelation according to the Holy Quran is a universal fact. It is through revelation that man receives knowledge; for there is no other way for him to acquire it except from this means. If we take a look in the annals of time we would find that man has always used in different forms the pen as writing tool and through the grace and mercy of Allah has learnt how to read also. Thus reading and writing are used either together or separately. The faculty to read enables man to prosper intellectually and to understand mysteries of nature and ponder over them in accordance with the knowledge already revealed by Allah through His prophets. After proper analysis, we find out that the pen as a tool has a great power for it can turn a situation and create revolutions, change the view of a whole society, invite either to peace or disorder, depending on the way it is used. If the same pen, the power and intellect of which is used in the path of Allah for the benefit of all His creatures, then this can enable man, especially the believer to open doors which were beforehand close for him; such doors which give access to success and increase in knowledge. By using the pen, all the advancement in the technological field also and every branch of science was achieved. By employing the pen, man has exerted himself completely to achieve such degrees of excellence which has guaranteed the advancement of the world in a new era of thought and behaviour. The use of the pen also has enabled man to produce works of great quality, of exceptional stand which has put him on a very high stand. This is the pen to which Allah is referring to in the above-mentioned verses of the Holy Quran. It is Allah who gave man knowledge and great faculties to develop himself, both intellectually and spiritually through the pen. Through the invention of the pen, Allah has made man reach such heights in many of the sciences, enriching him in ways unknown beforehand. Through civilisation, man has got to know how to use the different favours presented to him by Allah and this civilisation has been successfully set up by prophets of Allah who came to teach their peoples of the knowledge bestowed upon them by Allah, for their own welfare and for the welfare of their peoples. Every knowledge comes from Allah. He discloses His truth to whomsoever He wants from among His servants. Allah has also made provision for the preservation of His truth, and thus, He has instructed man, showed him how to do so through the pen. Had it not been for the pen, would we Muslims now have written copies of the Holy Quran to open, read and analyse as often as we want for our own salvation? Thus, through the pen, marvels can be achieved. Writing and reading help man not to fall into ignorance and to be aware of the messages of Allah preserved through the annals of time. Unfortunately not all religious records are kept righteously, for man has tampered with the original messages of the prophets and change them to their own convenience, except for the Holy Quran. At the time of the divine revelation of the verses of the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to have scribes of the Quran with him to note down the fresh revelations coming down from Allah. As Allah promised, He has made such a favour that the Quran was either written immediately after its revelation, or caused the companions of the Prophet to memorize it. Thus, when the occasion presented itself, that is, during the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) the Quran was compiled in written form, where all scribes and all people who learned the Quran by heart were called for special meetings to gather together all verses of the Quran and put them in their correct order as recited by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when angel Gabriel visited him and made him recite the whole Quran. Moreover nowadays there are great universities which have been erected for the sole purpose of teaching people of the sciences, be it natural sciences or religious sciences. The pen therefore has become such an essential tool for the seeking of knowledge that without it people would not come to know the mysteries of the creations of Allah. When we study Islam, we would learn that our noble prophet, the Holy Prophet of Islam Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) neither knew how to read and write. This was to be so for had the Holy Prophet known how to read and write, how the enemies of Islam would have seized of all arguments to blame furthermore Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) on account of the revelation of the Holy Quran! Thus, Islam having at its head the Seal of the Prophets Muhammad (peace be upon him) became the centre of knowledge despite the fact that its founder (through divine revelations) was illiterate, but yet, Allah, our Creator became His perfect teacher and taught him of such mysteries which has changed the face of this temporal world. It is to be noted also that not only is the Holy Quran to this day the ultimate Holy Book uncovering religious sciences, but therein is also the revelation of such natural sciences, such mysteries about the heavens, earth and sea which has forced many a man and woman to recognise the truthfulness of it all and accept this Holy Book as true for therein they have seized many a truth which came to light under their researches. Thus, the Quran, if analysed properly, not only offer man, especially the believer hints about how to direct his life and act upon its commandments, but it also discloses to him the mysteries of Allah’s creations, such discoveries which are meant to remind all humanity of the Supremacy of their Lord and Creator who is Unique and without partners – Allah (Glory be to Him). Through the faculty of reading and writing, Allah has made it such that a person can be able to pick out the truth from untruth. Reading does not imply the study of only one set of understanding, but all comprehension which affects us directly or indirectly. Reading is to increase our knowledge, and writing is to keep records of the truth of our day to day life. The greatest of all truths is Islam and the Holy Quran. Day to day records of events helps us to construct a better society, to share our thoughts and ideas for the benefit of one and all. Keeping vital knowledge for oneself may not necessarily be wise, save if Allah has so commanded one of His chosen ones not to disclose a specific thing unless He so decides. Thus, everything else can be shared, our views, and opinions and the experiences derived from a certain work environment etc. – all this for the benefit of people, to counsel them, to orient them in the right way. This is what Islam recommends, for this is a sane solution for the improvement of society, especially if that society is controlled and managed according to the Divine Law, and not man’s own ideas and decisions. If the ideas are in concordance with the divine laws, then fine! But if the ideas are against the basic teachings of Islam, then man is most likely to tread a way which can lead him to perdition – be it moral and spiritual perdition. If we study the history of Islam, we would see that Islam is the pioneer of key knowledge. The first Muslims during the first few centuries after the demise of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) were the fountainheads of knowledge, such knowledge which helped them conquer many a land and many a people to the pure Islam. They became teachers and best examples of savants with real purpose to unearth the mysteries of nature for the welfare of one and all and for the consolidation of their own faith in Allah and in the Holy Quran as their main guidebook. The Muslims’ knowledge was so high that the people of other religions remained dumbfounded before such intelligence and examples of mastery in the main sciences. They were much superior to them in many respect and these Muslims commanded respect, for Islam was not only a religion, but it became the greatest of universities for the acquisition of knowledge, true knowledge as revealed by Allah and interpreted by His noble prophet (peace be upon him). The pen in this respect also is the best form of Jihad (waging of religious ‘war’); such a war which is free of bloodbath; which at the same time reveals the authors’ point of view without risking loss of innocent lives. Many a times Islam has used such a method of Jihad – the pen. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to spread the message of Islam also through the pen, and invite the kings of the different countries to Islam. His was a great Jihad, without bloodshed. Islam condemns forcing anyone to accept it against his or her will. Over centuries the enemies of Islam have spread false notions of Islam, that Islam is in favour of bloodshed and that territories were conquered only through force and bloodshed, which is completely false! The only times the Prophet and his companions took the sword was only to defend themselves during attacks of enemies, and they did so only when Allah so commanded them! The Muslims through attacks and countless persecutions were dying and thus, to defend themselves, to protect their faith in Islam and their number, the Muslims had to wage physical war only as defence and only at the command of the Creator of the Heavens and earth. May Allah increase our knowledge in the many field bound to please Him and may He enable us to be of great service to Islam through our determination to make brighten the name of Islam in the four corners of the world. Allah has taught man of what he knew not, rendering him knowledgeable in such matters unknown to him beforehand. May Allah always make us the fountainheads of spiritual knowledge and enrich us furthermore so that thousands of souls may taste to the exquisite taste of Islam, in this world and the Hereafter as their main focus over and above all other temporal things. Insha-Allah, Ameen.