Text Box: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Eid’ul-Fitr Sermon Munir Ahmad Azim Hazrat Amir’ul Momeneen Muhyi-Ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam 31 August 2011 EID MUBARAK (Summary of Eid Sermon) After having greeted everybody with the Salutations of Peace and Eid Mubarak, the Khalifatullah read the Tashahhud, Taouz and Surah Al Fatiha and then he said: Eid-ul-fitr is the festival that marks the end of the month of Ramadan, a month of fasting and sacrifice, where emphasis is laid on the cultivation of virtues like patience, tolerance and forgiveness. These good qualities acquired during Ramadan should guide our conduct at all times. We should all seize this opportunity of celebration to strengthen our close ties with relatives and friends and neighbours. Opportunities like this should allow us to transcend cultural boundaries. On this auspicious occasion, it is appropriate for us to remind ourselves of our duty to Allah (Glory be to Him) and our responsibility towards our brothers and sisters by putting into practice the fundamental values inherent in all religions like solidarity, justice, brotherhood and above all respect for others. Here in Mauritius, we can consider ourselves to be very fortunate to have within our multi-cultural society, diverse sets of values, beliefs and norms which enable us to have a vision and understanding of the philosophical aspects of life. I congratulate all those who have been fasting during the sacred month of Ramadan and for their pious self-abnegation. During Ramadan, the human soul indeed soars to high levels of generosity and empathy. The interest of the faithful for the less fortunate is heightened, whilst the fast entails acts of charity to promote social justice and harmony. I pray that the spirit of Ramadan guides the faith of our brothers, sisters and children all year round and that their attitude and behaviour are a source of inspiration to the whole nation. During the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, all our Muslims brothers, sisters and children around the world observe the third pillar of practice in Islam, Sawm (fasting) which is prescribed by the Holy Quran. They equally participate in a series of supplementary prayers each night and distribute to the poor the obligatory charity called Zakat. Ramadan is a month of spiritual purification, self-discipline and self-restraint; a month during which Muslims undergo voluntarily a lot of sacrifices in the obedience of the Almighty. Every Mumin (believer) should have the following six good qualities: 1. Al-Sabr (Steadfast) 2. Al-Ihsan (Good Doing) 3. Al-Taqwa (Piousness) 4. Al-Tawakul (Trustworthy) 5. Al-Tauba (Repentance) 6. Al-Tahara (Cleanness) When a Mumin (believer) is attached and connected with these six qualities, Allah Almighty will make him dear to dearest, and this will be the high status and level for him. 1. Al-Sabr (steadfast): Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “And Allah Almighty loves the steadfast (those who have patience).” (3: 147) 2. Al-Ihsan (good-doing): “And the good-doers are dear to Allah Almighty.” (3: 149) 3. Al-Taqwa (piousness): “And surely Allah loves those who are pious.” (3: 77) 4. Al-Tawakul (trustworthy): “Surely, Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.” (3: 160) 5. Al-Tauba (repentance) and 6. Al-Tahara (cleanness): “Indeed, Allah Almighty loves those who are constantly repentant and those who purify themselves.” (2: 223) May Allah Almighty grant us all of these six qualities, Insha-Allah. Spirituality is inextricably bound with our social responsibility and concern for all people. This is made manifestly clear in Verse 178 of Surah Al-Baqara which reads: “It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West. But it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Book and the Messengers. To spend from what is in your possession, out of love for Him for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the traveller who is in need, for those who ask, for the freeing of slaves and prisoners, to be steadfast in prayer and practise Zakat.” The beliefs, acts of worship and social obligations that are enjoined on us in the above quoted verse are sure foundations on which to rest our spirituality. Moreover the whole of Surah Al-Ma’un reiterates and reinforces the fundamental link between spirituality and social solidarity: “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Do you see the man who denies religion? Such a man is the one who repulses the orphan, and does not encourage them feeding of the poor. So, woe to the worshippers who are neglectful for their prayers; those who want but to be seen of man but who refuses to supply even neighbourly needs.” But since the man who repels the orphan and does not readily encourage the feeding of the poor is really the negator of religion and since the man satiated, forgetting his starving neighbour, is really denying God and the Last Judgement, which itself constitutes divine justice. We can affirm that all societies calling themselves Islamic, but which do not realise this justice, have nothing to do with Islam, and even less to do with faith, other than in name. If we study closely the five pillars of Islam namely belief in one unique God, the five daily prayers (Salat), fasting, compulsory alms-giving and pilgrimage to Mecca, we will note that they do not only connect the individual to his Creator but also promote solidarity between the individuals and his fellowmen. It will not be possible here to analyse the social implication of each of these pillars but it is surely not a mere coincidence that in more than eighty verses of the Holy Quran, while Allah commands us to establish regular prayers, in the very same verse He enjoins us to pay Zakat. We have to bear in mind that Zakat is not a mere act of alms-giving but a form of spiritual purification. In fact, a spiritual exercise that compels those who have to care for the less privileged brothers and sisters in society so that all man live in dignity and we don’t have a situation where some indulge in extreme luxuries while others wallow in extreme poverty. This is meant for all times. The many prophets and messengers sent by Allah (Glory be to Him) to mankind over time to guide mankind on the straight path to attain success in this world and the hereafter have shown mankind by their teachings and examples that we cannot dissociate spirituality from social commitments to ensure the welfare of all. In fact they came to remind mankind of our Creator and to apply the principles of social justice as laid down in the Holy Scriptures. They came to free people from ignorance, tyranny, injustice and impiety. One striking example is Hazrat Musa (upon him be peace). His struggle was to establish belief in one God and to liberate his people from tyranny. In so doing he was restoring the dignity of labour and his people who were suffering atrociously from exploitation by the pharaoh on the basis of racial prejudice and domination. But this is an on-going struggle, we all know that in many parts of the world today workers, particularly immigrants, labourers are still exploited and debased often because of their race by the new “pharaohs” clad in modern clothes. Prophet Isa’s (upon him be peace) dedication to his relieving of the suffering of the poor, sick, destitute of all walks of life is legend. Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) throughout his life worked for a better society. His acts and teachings based on Quranic principles eloquently express his concerns for social justice. He himself said: “Allah is not merciful to those who are not merciful to people.” He spared no effort to free slaves and brings about the emancipation of women. He was known as the “father of the poor” as he was filled with compassion for the needy, the orphans, and the weaker members of the society. In fact there was a group of people who were permanently to be seen in front of the house of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and they were known as the Ashab-i-Suffa, the people of the bench. They were totally deprived and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) would personally attend to their daily needs. The modern equivalent of this group would be those who are the “rejected” of our society. In order to help the marginalised sections of our society, we need to seek inspiration from the action of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) who successfully manage to help the Ashab-i-Suffa to integrate society. The Quran rightly tell us: “You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day.” (33: 22) In a Hadith Qudsi of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) which alludes to the deep concern of God for the welfare of human beings it is mentioned, God will ask: “O son of Adam, I asked you to feed Me, but you refused it to Me.” The man will reply, “How could I have fed you? You are the Lord of the worlds.” But the reply of God will be: “Did you not know that one of My slaves had asked for food from you? Did you not know that if you had given him food, you would have found it with Me?” The noble example of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was emulated by his close companions, as well as pious men and scholars throughout history. It is our social responsibility to see to it that everyone has a proper diet, not only in our immediate surrounding but also on a worldwide basis. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No he doesn’t believe in God, nor in the Last Judgement, he who eats his fill at night whilst his neighbour is racked with hunger.” In fact, in order to attain social peace and harmony, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) constantly encouraged believers not to hoard, and to share with others what they have and to abide by the principles of social justice. This is the only way to forestall all forms of social malaise. We have to recommend the principles of social justice not only within the Muslim community but follow the example of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) whereby he guarantied the rights of all religious minorities in constitution of Medina, the first known written constitution of the world. Moreover there cannot be social peace in modern society unless we eradicate all forms of racial discrimination. Such an action is an undeniable mark of spirituality for the Holy Scriptures constantly reminds us that all believers are equal before God. In the last sermon of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), he said: “An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab nor a white superior to a black. A person distinguishes himself only in piety.” All those who want to walk for the betterment of the society must operate within a spiritual framework which always promotes selfless service. All too often we have seen individuals and associations setting out with the noble objectives of working for social welfare ending up, out of self-interest, pocketing resources which should have otherwise been used to improve the lives of the needy. This is because they have lacked the necessary spiritual training to curb their egotistic tendencies. The spiritual man is the one who strives in the Jihad Al-Akbar (the great holy war). He constantly fights against his nafs, that is, his passion such as greed, envy, avarice and the need to dominate others. It is only then that he can develop his selfless devotion to Allah and disinterested service to humanity. In so doing he would have removed the veils which separate him from his Creator and his fellow men. The concept of selfless service (khidmat) is a central element of Islamic spirituality. It rests on this saying of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) which says: “None of you is a true believer in Islam unless he loves for his brother that which he loves for his own self.” (Mishkat) This echoed in the spirituality of other religions. For example, in the Bible, we read: “Protect the oppressed, do justice to the orphan, defend the widow.” (Isaiah: Verse 17) To this, Jesus (upon him be peace) adds: “Whatever you wish that men would to you, do so to them; for this is the law…” In Hinduism, the equivalent of khidma (service) is known as ‘sewa’ a concept which encompasses service at all level ranging from self to family, relatives, country and humanity at large. The Ramayana says: “Service to men is service to God.” By way of conclusion, I would like to point out that humanity represents one family aspiring to the same ultimate goals. As members of this family we should all care for each other and be committed to its wellbeing. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Humanity is one big family of Allah. And the most beloved to Allah is the one who treats his family with the greatest consideration.” As we, Muslims are celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr today, let us have a special thought for our brothers, sisters and children in Somalia and other places in African countries (who are undergoing all sorts of calamities and drought) and recent floods in other countries whereby they are deprived of all their basic needs and are still looking up to the international community and to friendly countries for assistance and a special effort of solidarity. The Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, with the participation of the whole nation, are doing our best to bring our assistance to them Insha-Allah. Let us also pray that a just peace be reached around the world Insha-Allah. I wish all my Muslims brothers, sisters and children an EID MUBARAK. May Allah bless you all, and make you realise the imperativeness of the situation at hand. The light has come to the world. Make sure that you do not remain in the darkness of ignorance. Embrace the light of Allah through unity, love, harmony, but what is most important is that you really make Allah become your sole God, not a lip-profession faith in God, but you put into practice all His commandments and follow His Chosen Messenger in this era. Insha-Allah. Ameen.