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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Friday Sermon
HAZRAT KHALIFATULLAH AL-MASSIH AL-MA’OUD
Munir Ahmad Azim
(09 Jamadul Aakhir 1432 Hijri)
(Summary of Friday Sermon)
After having greeted everybody with the Salutations of Peace, the Messiah (Massih’ullah) read the Tashahhud, Taouz and Surah Al Fatiha and then he said:
قُلۡ لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنٰتِ یَغۡضُضۡنَ مِنۡ اَبۡصَارِہِنَّ وَ یَحۡفَظۡنَ فُرُوۡجَہُنَّ وَ لَا یُبۡدِیۡنَ زِیۡنَتَہُنَّ اِلَّا مَا ظَہَرَ مِنۡہَا وَ لۡیَضۡرِبۡنَ بِخُمُرِہِنَّ عَلٰی جُیُوۡبِہِنَّ ۪ وَ لَا یُبۡدِیۡنَ زِیۡنَتَہُنَّ اِلَّا لِبُعُوۡلَتِہِنَّ اَوۡ اٰبَآئِہِنَّ اَوۡ اٰبَآءِ بُعُوۡلَتِہِنَّ اَوۡ اَبۡنَآئِہِنَّ اَوۡ اَبۡنَآءِ بُعُوۡلَتِہِنَّ اَوۡ اِخۡوَانِہِنَّ اَوۡ بَنِیۡۤ اِخۡوَانِہِنَّ اَوۡ بَنِیۡۤ اَخَوٰتِہِنَّ اَوۡ نِسَآئِہِنَّ اَوۡ مَا مَلَکَتۡ اَیۡمَانُہُنَّ اَوِ التّٰبِعِیۡنَ غَیۡرِ اُولِی الۡاِرۡبَۃِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ اَوِ الطِّفۡلِ الَّذِیۡنَ لَمۡ یَظۡہَرُوۡا عَلٰی عَوۡرٰتِ النِّسَآءِ ۪ وَ لَا یَضۡرِبۡنَ بِاَرۡجُلِہِنَّ لِیُعۡلَمَ مَا یُخۡفِیۡنَ مِنۡ زِیۡنَتِہِنَّ ؕ وَ تُوۡبُوۡۤا اِلَی اللّٰہِ جَمِیۡعًا اَیُّہَ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تُفۡلِحُوۡنَ
“…to the believing women… cast their veils over their bosoms, and not reveal their adornment, except to their husbands…” (24:32)
There has been going on a somewhat sharp public debate concerning Pardah (in Mauritius and the outer islands), that is the veil that serves to screen Muslim women from the sight of male strangers. “Seclusion” and “segregation” are also the terms being used in the same context. Pardah has been dubbed as discrimination practised in the Muslim Community against their women-folk. This is a false suggestion made with the ulterior motive of creating a rift in the Muslim family and society and to misinterpret Islam as an agent of repression of women.
The family is a part of the Islamic social order. The society that Islam wants to establish is not a sensate, sex ridden society. It established an ideological society, with a high level of moral awareness. The entire system operates in a way that strengthens and fortifies the family and not otherwise. The family is protected by prohibiting sex outside marriage. Fornication (Zinah), as such, has been forbidden and made a punishable offence. All roads that lead to this evil are blocked and whatever paves the way towards it is checked and eliminated. That is why promiscuity in any form is forbidden. The Islamic system of Hijab is a wide-ranging system which protects the family and closes those avenues that lead towards illicit sex relations or even indiscriminate contact between the sexes in society. It prescribed essential rules and regulations about dress and modes of social behaviour for men and women both.
“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty… And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty.” (24:31-32)
“O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close to themselves…” (33:60)
Islam gives the woman a really honourable position in society, as the mother, the wife, the sister, or the daughter. The woman, who enjoys such noble status, has to be chaste. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: The world, the whole of it, is a commodity, and the best of the commodities of the world is a virtuous wife. (Muslim)
To protect her virtue and to safeguard her chastity from lustful eyes and covetous hands, Islam has provided for Pardah which sets norms of dress, social get-together, participation in reformative movements and going out of the four walls of one’s house in the hour of need.
This protection is by no means intended to be a confinement or duress. Within the prescribed limits, a woman can educate herself, and acquire qualifications in order to adopt a profession to earn a living or to serve humanity. In addition to housekeeping, bringing up children, and contributing her share to manage the affairs of the house as a whole, there is no bar on women to pursue other virtuous activities as well. All that is needed is that liberty does not become a licence or an act of libertine.
Islamic law is not meant to take pleasure in punishment. Its aim is to promote, protect, and preserve the values inherent in the Islamic way of life. The woman is at par with man in the pursuit of goodness and the shunning of evil. The rights of both are balanced, compatible with the respective peculiarities of each sex and its attendant duties. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has elucidated the position in clear-out words: “fear Allah where women are concerned for you have taken them as wife on the surety of Allah, and have made their person lawful unto yourselves by words of Allah. You have rights to claim of them, and they have rights to claim of you.”
It is misconceived notion that Pardah in Islam is designed to keep the woman in bondage of man. On the contrary, Islam emancipated woman from man’s bondage and social degradation. She has a defined position under the Islamic social system. The object of this system is to keep the social environment as clean as possible of all sorts of sexual excitements and stimulations, so as to enable man and woman to develop his or her physical and mental abilities in a pure and peaceful atmosphere, so that they may play their respective role effectively in the building up of civilisation. Woman’s sphere of activity is segregated from that of man’s. They are entrusted with separate responsibilities in the social life according to their respective natures and mental and physical abilities. And their mutual relationships are so organised that they co-operate with each other within the lawful limits prescribed by Islam. Both man and woman are given all the human rights, and both are provided with all possible opportunities for advancement but neither of them is allowed to transgress the limits prescribed for his or her sex in the society. Islam does not forbid us to acquire knowledge to work, or to cooperate with others in social life, provided it aims at the well-being of the community and entails no adverse effects for it.
What then Islam does not approve of are such foolish and unhealthy activities as the going out of women and walking openly and without genuine need on the highways and roads. Surely none can dare say that the women can realise their potentiality and respect through these silly activities alone. They may in such situations fall an easy prey to the best of the sybarite men as the experience of the enlightened, civilised Western society girls does illustrate. As such the people opposing Islamic traditions seem to do so just because they are attached to the pleasures of this world and cannot prevent themselves from enjoying it, even if it be illegal and not at all good for their security and chastity.
Every sensible and learned person knows that the religions have condemned immorality and immodesty and have laid great stress on chastity. Islam, being the Divine Religion, has laid immense emphasis upon purity, chastity, modesty and morality. The Holy Quran has shown the luminous and righteous path to all the Muslims; and it contains faultless and perfect precepts for the guidance of all believers. Manifold proofs are available to show the efficacy and truthfulness of these divine tenets. The Islamic history bears ample testimony to this fact. Islam cannot allow its followers to lead an immoral life. The Holy Quran ordains that Pardah or seclusion of women is the protector and saviour of the fair sex.
When any person transgresses the laid down restrictions and limits, he suffers physically as well as spiritually. Islam has therefore, quite prudently and wisely ordained the Muslim women to observe seclusion and not to violate the prescribed restrictions. The ugly growth of sins and the disastrous consequences of moral degeneration can be avoided only through following the righteous path of Islam.
History throws sufficient light on the causes of decline and fall of several nations and moral degradation was one of them. The unrestrained freedom enjoyed by the ladies of Europe, Rome, America, Greece etc., during the periods of their glory and prosperity, led to rivalries between the high-placed and powerful persons. The nobles and dignitaries, who dragged the beautiful women into the high society, fell a victim to their intrigues and plots. The love of pleasure, luxury and sensuality went to such an extent that the theatres, dancing halls, clubs and the courts were dominated by the pretty and intriguing ladies. The ministers and high ranking officers were dismissed at the command of attractive and beauteous women.
Before the advent of Islam, women were subjected to inhuman treatment and forced to lead miserable life. The members of the weaker sex had to face injustice, oppression and warranted hardships. They were kept under absolute subordination and strict isolation. Women were to all intents and purposes an outcast from society and looked upon as the greatest evil Allah ever created. They were accorded very low position in the society.
On the contrary, from the very advent of Islam, the Muslim women were respected, granted the right of inheritance; they were safe from cruelties, molestations and ill-treatment. They enjoyed equality and liberty but with certain restrictions, and limitations, which in no way diminished her prestige in the home and respect in the society. Rather the observance of Pardah proved a blessing and saved them from wicked and immoral deeds.
There is no enough time to continue this sermon lengthily. May Allah give me the tawfiq to continue this sermon later on, Insha-Allah. May Allah bless all of you and guide you in the right path. Ameen.
Announcement: By the grace of Allah, our brothers from Kerala are presently holding their Shura/Amila meeting. Please pray for them so that they may be able to be of exceptional service to Islam. It is a matter of great blessings from Allah to have such fervent servants of Allah working hard to pass on the message of Allah, through the coming of a humble Man of God who is concerned to see you all prosper both spiritually and morally also. Don’t forget my dear followers that this world is not your end, but verily the beginning of a long journey. Thus let it be that this journey see to your attainment of Divine Love and Satisfaction. Our brothers and sisters from the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam of Kerala are doing excellent work. Let it be that you also here, and worldwide, and especially in the outer islands may be able to do “Fastabiqoul Khairaat” (vie each other in good deeds), especially in those good deeds which shall make you merit the love, pleasure and satisfaction of Allah and His humble Messenger. The Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam must be that group of Muslims which are one body. Hazrat Muhammad Mustupha (peace be upon him) wanted that his Ummah be one body and if one of you be hurt, then the whole body of the Ummah feels the pain, and if one of you is happy and is blessed with divine favours, let it be that the whole body rejoices in the aftermath of this blessing. May Allah bless you all, and keep your faith as solid as Allah wants to maintain it, more solid than a rock, more solid that the notion of solid. May Allah be your inspiration and guide. |
