Friday Sermon: 27 December 2013

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Friday Sermon

HADHRAT AMIR’UL MUMINEEN MUHYI-UD-DIN

Munir Ahmad Azim

27 December 2013 ~

(23 Safar 1435 Hijri)

(Summary of Friday Sermon)

After having greeted all his followers (and all Muslims) round the world – mentioning the nearby islands, India, Kerala, Trinidad and Tobago etc. – with the Salutations of Peace, Hazrat Muhyi-ud-Din (atba) read the Tashahhud, Taouz and Surah Al Fatiha and then said:

We have seen that science and faith, far from being contradictory, are perfectly complementary. Another question now arises: is it possible that science and faith can substitute each other whereby one takes the place of the other?

After defining the role of science and of faith, it will not be necessary either to ask this question or to answer it. It is clear that science cannot replace faith; faith which in addition to the light and power, gives us love and hope, enhances the level of our aspirations, and which moreover not only helps us in choosing goals and objectives and guide us in the way we have to go to reach, but moreover makes us change certain goals and aspirations, which instinctively and by nature, focus on individualism and self-centeredness to aspirations based on love and spiritual passion of goodness; it (faith) is an instrument at our disposal, it can transform our essence and our quiddity. Faith cannot also replace science which makes us have knowledge of nature and discover its laws, and allows us to know ourselves.

Historical experience has shown that the split between science and faith have caused irreparable damage and harm. It is in the light of science that we need to comprehend faith and it is in the light of science that faith, when it drifts away from science, it (faith) transforms into rigidity of mind, blind fanaticism and finally fixed ideas that lead nowhere. Where there is no science and knowledge, the faith of ignorant believers becomes a means available to the cunning impostors and hypocrites that we come across under different forms throughout history and the Kharijites/Khawarij are one of these examples from early Islam.

Science without faith is like a sword which has fallen into the hands of a drunkard. It is like a lamp left to the reach of a thief to enable him to better choose his booty in the middle of the night. It is for this reason that between the today’s faithless scientist and yesterday’s faithless ignorant, then to the point of view of behaviour and actions, there is not the slightest difference. What difference is there between today’s Washington, Blair, Sharon, Al-Sa’ud and Hussein and the Nimrod, Pharaoh, Genghis, Attila, Churchill, Johnson, Nixon and Stalin of yesterday?

Arguably, it is true that science provides light and power; this light and this power does not only serve to enlighten us and show us the outside world but also make us able to know the transformations of the inner world. Therefore, science can both build the world and shape man. It can therefore perform at the same time its own role of “the construction of the universe” and the work of faith, being “the formation of man.” All that is true but there is a fundamental nuance from the fact that the power of science is of instrumental order, that is to say, it depends on the will of man. Man, whatever the field, performs better his job with the help of science. This is why I say that science is the best contributor of man to achieve his goals, and to guide him in the way he has to travel to get there.

But the problem is elsewhere. Before guiding himself, man chooses his purpose/goal. So what is the origin of his objectives since man is of animal nature and he gradually acquires his human capacity. What is the form that enables him to transform himself, that revolts/awakens his conscience to guide him in a new way/path? If it is not faith (then what?) because science has not yet been able to discover the phenomenon that governs man.

Some values in the spirit/mind of man and the sanctification of values is by itself generated by a series of transcendent trends in man. These trends, in turn, were born from particular apprehension, from specific conception of the universe and of man that we can neither get in the laboratories nor in the content of reasoning and analogies. These apprehensions are not accessible by science.

History, ancient and modern, showed the negative results produced by the separation of science and faith. When faith alone existed and without the help of science, humanitarian efforts of individuals have found no results, at least mediocre ones, or, more often, they were the cause of fanaticism, rigidity of mind and even very harmful dissension. The history of mankind is full of these sorts of events.

When science reigned alone, without the intervention of faith, as in many contemporary societies, the scientific power was implemented to achieve selfishness, ambition, presumptions, colonization, exploitation, deception of men.

We can consider these two or three centuries as the era of the cult of science and abandonment of faith. Many scholars believed they could solve all human problems through science, but experience proved the opposite of today. Even the most materialistic scientists are now recognizing this. Any material work has no other aim than income, and cannot give a satisfactory result. To get results, you must choose a profession that has as concentrated in it “faith” in a person, an ideology or a high destination/aim.

Today, the materialists themselves are forced to pretend that philosophically, they are materialistic and morally idealistic; that is to say, from the theoretical point of view they are materialist and idealist practically. This is a paradoxical problem and it is for the materialists themselves to provide the answer.

There are some theologians who expressed lack in human relationships and in the achievement of the immediate needs of man without the power of faith. They believe that in some areas, science has made enormous and extraordinary progress, but in other areas, such as national or international policy concerning relations between human individuals themselves, then they find that people are still making fun of each other.

They recognize that the faith that man needs is a religious faith. So, man thus needs both science and faith. Without faith a man is completely lost because if he lives on science alone, he is doomed to spiritual death, putting humanity at risk. This danger is the drifting from God, from a power that is beyond the full understanding of man.

With the florescence of Islam like a flower which spread its fragrance everywhere, likewise faith in One God has claimed all the hearts thirsty of truth. The Quran, irrefutable database provides humanity, especially Muslims a way to advance both materially and spiritually so that they arrive to the goal they are intended to achieve: Allah, the One God. With the effort he is making, and along with science and strong faith which he acquires, the Muslim believer can go through thousands of stages to achieve this goal. At that moment, God shall certainly help (in this endeavour).

Allah has inspired me while preparing my sermon (25 December 2013) these few words in French, from which I mention only the part which is related to the subject of this sermon:

“You should know that in the creation of man God has initiated such a process which wills that man progresses from the animal state to a moral and spiritual state which will give him satisfaction in himself, in his environment and his Creator, God Almighty.

It should be noted here that the idolaters, the so-called scholars and religious people do not represent the law of God on earth. With the help of divine revelation, God raises His chosen servant to guide himself first of all, perfecting him into a creature subject to the will of God who will know how to lead the world tomorrow on the right path.

Certainly it is the manifestation of selfishness and greed that reduce faith to create a spiritual cancer. Humanity, each person takes himself as more superior to the other. God created every human with a goal and inscribed to each his destiny. God also created human relationship and when he (man) meets fellow human beings like himself, there is a satisfaction that is felt as humans all come from the divine essence, at least their souls.

There are some theologians who find themselves in a hole; they do not really know how to achieve the balance that will make a human being complete, a satisfied being in all spheres of his life. Fortunately, in this age, God has sent a small Muhammad who has the courage to say that he comes from God. But unfortunately for some people, they make virulent attacks on the man of God. As a messenger of God with a lamp (light) and whose “Nervous System” (revealed word in English) is illuminated by God, then he feels that those people who do not listen, and turn back to God’s messages, then these people lose from all sides. They do not really live because their faith is in danger. They become spiritually blind, refusing to recognize the servant and messenger of God sent to them in their age to get them out of the state of animal to make them become individuals who are not only educated, but moral and spiritual.

God, Allah certainly directs His messenger where, in what places he has to go to witness the degradation of men. Allah made His messenger see how in the north of Mauritius, the young lead a life of prostitution, a more detestable animal life. As for the messenger, he comes to bring spiritual light. He has the task to deliver the message and people like it or not, but he has the duty to transmit the divine message.

God also informs His chosen servant before the news reaches him from (the part of) men, and tells him what is happening in Europe, how many dead there are with a storm; in France, how many French died.

You are very lucky; to accept a messenger of God is not easy. He comes to transform people to bring them out of the animal state to humanism. Tomorrow shall fade away but the Creator shall never fade away/be extinguished.

With the arrival of a messenger of God to pass the message to the world, with warnings that he gives in His name, then the world will testify to miracles in favour of the Messenger of Allah of this century, and the words that come from his mouth are just words that God inspired him to deliver the message to the world...” (Part of the revelation of Allah received on 25 December 2013 in the afternoon).

And before closing my sermon, I have the great pleasure to inform you that our brothers and sisters of Kerala/Tamil Nadu have held their Jalsa Salana successful from 22-23 December 2013. With the renovation which has been made for our Nur’ul Islam Mosque, therefore our brothers have been able to accomplish a large extent of the renovation and have held their Jalsa Salana after the renovation, by the grace of Allah. Insha-Allah, the summary of the programme shall be available on our official website soon.

There shall be Insha-Allah a webpage dedicated to the Tamil language on our official website with the Deen works of our brothers from Tamil Nadu and these works shall be available for all to see. And Insha-Allah, the book “The Real face of the Hypocrites” shall soon be published in Malayalam.

I must also add that in the context of their tabligh programme, they received an invitation from the Amir of the Ahmadiyya Association in Mathra, Kerala and our brothers accepted the invitation and went to talk to him on the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius and the advent of this humble servant of Allah. And Alhamdulillah, our brothers have put before him such solid arguments from the Quran that he could not deny the fact that Allah has the power to raise more messengers in the future, and after not being able to defend his system of Khilafat, he fumed, boiling with rage against me and Mukarram Amir Sahib of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Kerala. He and all those like him wishes to see our end and this Amir from the Association in Mathra has challenged me to send to him the same warning that I sent to his Khalifa if he had a hand in the attacks against our brothers of Kerala/Tamil Nadu.

Therefore, I tell this Amir and those like him, beware with the words they have had the guts to use, especially on a messenger of Allah and the sincere disciples of the Divine Messenger of this era. Beware because these cutting words shall fall on you. Allah says (in the Quran):

“We know that you are saddened by what they say. And indeed, they do not call you untruthful, but it is the revelations of Allah that the wrongdoers reject… They are arrogant on earth and they plot evil, but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people. Then do they await except the way of the former peoples? But you will never find in the way of Allah any change, and you will never find in the way of Allah any alteration.”

Therefore, that Amir and those like him should curb their tongues, for if not, that same tongue shall stand against them and they shall fall into perdition. If you do not believe, then do not believe. There is no compulsion for you to believe. You do not believe in me, for this you shall be accountable before Allah to state why you did not believe when He sent His messenger for you to believe in him and follow the righteous path. But you do not believe, and besides, you are making as if you are all-knowing, boasting (yourselves). Therefore, beware you fall into darkness, whereby it will make no difference if you believe or not when it will be too late for you and you will not be able to reap any benefits thereof.

May Allah give us all the ability to understand the subject of the sermon, and may Allah perfect our faith and increase our knowledge to better serve His religion, and enable us to improve ourselves, both physically and morally, and also spiritually, Insha-Allah, Amine.