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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Friday Sermon
HADHRAT AMIR’UL MUMINEEN MUHYI-UD-DIN
Munir Ahmad Azim
(20 Ramadan 1435 Hijri)
(Summary of Friday Sermon)
After having greeted all his followers (and all Muslims) round the world – mentioning Reunion Island and the other 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:
Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Rahiim; ‘Innaaa ‘anzalnaahu fii lay-latil-Qadr: Wa maaa ‘adraakamaa Laylatul-Qadr? Laylatul-Qadri khayrum-min ‘alfi shahr. Tanazzalul-malaaa ‘ikatu war-Ruuhu fiihaa bi-‘izni-Rabbihim-min kulli ‘amr: Salaamun Hiya hattaa matla-‘il-Fajr.
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Indeed, We sent the Qur’an down during the Night of Decree. And what can make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.” (97: 1-6)
In the light of these verses of the Chapter Al-Qadr (the Destiny/Decree), it shall be good for us to recall once again how these verses were revealed.
One day, the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was relating the life of a pious man (Wali) by the name of Shamsun (ra) who used to live among the Children of Israel. From what we understand, he was someone who used to pray a lot and struggle hard for the cause of Allah for the duration of a thousand months. When the companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) heard that, they became sad upon thinking that they would never be able to surpass Hazrat Shamsun (ra). As an encouragement, Allah said that if the Community of the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) indulge in acts of worship during the Night of Decree (Laila-tul-Qadr), therefore their prayers would earn rewards better than a thousand months of worship. (Ruh’ul Bayan Vol. 10 pg. 483)
In Hadith, Hazrat Anas bin Malik (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah stated about the month of Ramadan: “This month (of Ramadan) has begun and there is a night in it better than one thousand month. So, any one deprived of its blessings is actually deprived of all goodness. Indeed, He is truly deprived who is kept away from its good.” (Ibn Majah, Mishkat)
Therefore, the Night of Decree is a night filled with blessings and is very valuable. It is a great divine favour upon the Ummah of the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) when transforming acts of worship made during the Night of Decree into acts of worship (prayers) which is worth more than a thousand months of blessings. For the communities of the past prophets, there were no such designed night reserved for the descent on earth of Hazrat Jibreel (as) and the angels except for the Muslims whereby they send the divine peace on the Muslims absorbed in any act of worship and thus these angels prays for them and ask forgiveness for them. In His wisdom, Allah has hidden that special night in the last 10 holy nights of Ramadan so that the Muslims make efforts to seek it. In this way, their courage increase and they spend their time in worship for Allah so as to reap the blessings concealed in the Night of Decree.
In a Hadith reported by Hazrat Aisha (ra), the Messenger of Allah used to double his efforts in worship/prayer during the last ten nights (of Ramadan) compared to other nights. (Muslim, Mishkat). According to different Hadiths, the Night of Decree is found in the odd nights of Ramadan (21, 23, 25, 27 and 29). In the light of this Hadith, the Night of Decree is the night wherein the first revelations of the Quran came down on the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Even Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has not given a precise date for this special night, but he indicated that it was found among the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.
There have been great scholars of Islam who commented on the Night of Decree, whereby they are of opinion that it was the 27th night of Ramadan. These scholars, like Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra), Hazrat Ubayy ibn Ka’b (ra), Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifa and even Hazrat Sheik Muhyi-ud-Din Abdul Qadir Jilani (ra) have commented whereby they explained the greatness of number 7, such greatness which is not commonly found in the odd numbers like 3, 5 or 9. They corroborate their analysis through the following reasons:
1. There are 7 heavens and 7 earths. 2. In a week, there are 7 days and 7 nights. 3. We need to perform 7 circumambulations (tawaf) around the Holy Ka’aba. 4. We run 7 times between Safa and Marwa. 5. There were 7 companions in the Cave (Kahf). 6. Hazrat Yusuf (as) remained in prison for 7 years. 7. The dream which Hazrat Yusuf (as) interpreted for the King mentioned 7 fat cows and 7 thin cows. 8. We perform 17 cycles (Rakat) of Obligatory prayers in 24 hours. 9. For each Salat (prayer), there are 7 obligatory conditions so that our prayer may be considered complete. 10. And of course, in Surah Al-Fatiha, there are 7 verses.
For these reasons, according to them the number 7 is greater in worth than the other odd numbers. The word “Laila-tul-Qadr” (Night of Decree) is made of 9 (Arabic) letters, and it appeared 3 times in the Surah Al-Qadr. Therefore 3 multiply by 9 gives 27.
According to the Holy Quran and cited Hadiths, we can see the worth and greatness of that grand night, and the density of the blessings it contains. Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra) narrated that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari).
In another Hadith, Hazrat Aisha (ra) reported that she asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh): “O Messenger of Allah! What if I knew which night Lailatul-Qadr was, then what should I say in it?” He said: “Say: Allaahumma innaka ‘affuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘annee.” (O Allah, You are forgiving and You love to forgive, so forgive me).” (Mishkat, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi)
On the subject of I’tikaaf, Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“…and do not have contact with them (your wives) while you keep to the mosques (for worship); these are the limits of Allah, so do not go near them. Thus does Allah make clear His communications for men that they may guard (against evil).” (2: 188)
1. I’tikaaf – Spiritual Retreat means staying in the mosque with the intention to pray and remember Allah a lot. When someone makes the intention to observe the I’tikaaf (spiritual retreat), therefore he does so only for Allah the Almighty and not for the eyes of people. Hazrat Aisha (ra) narrated that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) used to observe the I’tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadan till the year he died, and afterwards his wives observed it (the I’tikaaf) after him. (Bukhari and Muslim)
2. Abu Huraira (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah used to observe the I’tikaaf each year and the year in which he died, he remained in I’tikaaf for 20 days. (Bukhari).
Now let us come on the subject of Zakat. Zakat is an obligatory act of charity, ordained to each financially established Muslim and which is distributed to poor Muslims, or those facing difficulties/problems. Zakat is one of the 5 pillars of Islam and it has been prescribed in the Holy Quran and Hadiths.
The definition and root of Zakat in Arabic means blessing, growth, purity and amelioration. The subject of Zakat also concerns those who pay the Sadaqua which is a form of Zakat in the context where Allah states in Chapter 9, Verse 103: “Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke (Allah’s blessings) upon them. Indeed, your invocations are reassurance for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.”
Zakat is an act of worship which purifies the wealth and soul of a Muslim. Purification of wealth means purification of all his properties he possesses, and the money held in banks which he does not use which is distributed with justice. Purification of the soul comprises also freeing himself from hatred, jealousy, egoism and cupidity. In the Quran the term Zakat has been mentioned in several verses, appearing 30 times, out of which 27 times the word Zakat is mentioned along with Salat (prayer). Among those verses, there is the Verse 11 of Surah At-Tauba: “But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then they are your brothers in religion; and We detail the verses for a people who know.”
I therefore mention some Hadiths (on this subject):
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay the Zakat of his wealth, then on the Day of Resurrection his wealth will be made like a bald-headed poisonous male snake with two black spots over the eyes. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, ‘I am your wealth, I am your treasure.’” Then the Prophet recited the holy verses: “And let not those who (greedily) withhold what Allah has given them of His bounty ever think that it is better for them. Rather, it is worse for them. Their necks will be encircled by what they withheld on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. And Allah, with what you do, is (fully) Acquainted.” (to the end of the verse). (3: 181).” (Bukhari).
The month of Ramadan is coming to an end. Time is running and we have only few days before the end of Ramadan and the coming of Eid. Therefore, each Ramadan is an opportunity for the Muslim to make an analysis of his self: Ramadan is going away, has my life changed and am I living my life according to the Islamic teachings?
Recently in the month of Ramadan (last week), some of our members from Kerala/Tamil Nadu went in a town of Kerala to distribute our message/pamphlet with a spirit of goodness to give the message, and thus to benefit to the maximum from their efforts for the cause of Allah in this blessed month. At the same time, I must precise that there is absolutely no compulsion in religion (Islam). Nobody is to be coerced to listen and accept the message of Allah and the Khalifatullah. And if you do not have the intention to listen to the message and accept it, therefore, you must not also restrict other brothers and sisters from listening and accepting the message. This is what happened in that town of Kerala (Karunagappally), where our brothers went on the field of tabligh and distributed the message, especially to the Ahmadis, but unfortunately, in the course of their mission, there came to them a group of more than 25 Ahmadi youths from the Ahmadiyya Association who came to fight with them, brutalising and persecuting them right then in the month of Ramadan. Like I said, if you on a personal level are not interested to listen to the message, then do not come to stop your brother to do his duty, and as for you, you should not restrict the others from listening.
There was a time when our dynamic brothers of Ahmadiyyat sacrificed a lot to go on mission to spread the message of the advent of the Messiah and the message which Allah revealed through him. At that time, it was the other Muslims who used to brutalise, menace and persecute them, and there were even some who killed those Ahmadis. What do we see today? The Ahmadis have taken at their turn the torch to persecute the true followers of the Messenger whom Allah has chosen for you all, to revive Islam, that is, those same teachings which Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) brought and revived. Whereto are the Ahmadis going? In which baseness have they fallen? In Kerala, some days back, there were also Ahmadis who were not stubborn who listened and took the message, whereas the stubborn ones took recourse to violence, and even hurt our brothers physically in this holy month of Ramadan. Is this the example taught by both Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as)? When those ill-mannered youths had recourse to violence and menaces, the Ahmadi Muballighs and the Amir of that place did nothing to stop such assault and violence against our brothers.
In Kerala, our brothers, like Janab Amir Jamaludin Sahib and Janab Amir Thahir Sahib, and our other dynamic brothers who each doing to the best of their abilities great works to pass on the Divine Manifestation, that is, the message of Islam. We can only pass on the message, not open the hearts of people to force them to accept the message. It is only Allah who has the capacity to open hearts and give Hidaayat (right guidance). Each (of our brothers) is making his efforts to contribute in this great work, and each has his part of work he is doing to make Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam (the true teachings of Islam) shine in the four corners of Kerala, India and the entire world.
I therefore ask my Ahmadi brothers from Kerala, do not follow the trace of the Satan, lest you slip and fall from a place where you shall hurt yourselves immensely. Do not become the persecutors of such people who, for the cause of Allah are seeking to spread His message with all sincerity and capability. If you accept the message, it will be good for you, but if you reject it, then you shall be accountable for this before Allah, not before the Khalifatullah or anyone else. But bear in mind that there was a time when you also (as the body of Ahmadiyyat) suffered and is still suffering persecutions from the hands of the other Muslims. Is it that when you have been persecuted by the hands of these people who call themselves Muslims, has this in any way diminish the value of the veracity of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) or your faith in him? Are you then bent on persecuting another part of the body of Islam, of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) – the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam? Do you want to make history by being labelled the persecutors of the disciples of the new Messiah, or do you want to become those who helped his cause/mission for the love of Allah?
Therefore, in this month of Ramadan, each of you know his own deed and intention, and it is only Allah who knows who have spent the whole month of Ramadan in serenity, and have maximised this blessed month without feeling tired, and with a sincere heart. We pray Allah that He accepts our fasts, supplications, prayers and our sacrifices which we make in His path, for His cause.
The word Ramadan is constituted of 5 alphabets: Re, Mim, Dward, Alif and Nun and each alphabet holds a special significance:
1. ‘Re’ for Rahmat-e-Ilaahi : The Divine Favour. 2. ‘Mim’ for Muhabbat-e- Ilaahi: The Love of Allah 3. ‘Dward’ for Dwaman-e- Ilaahi: The Guarantee of Allah 4. ‘Alif’ for Amman-e- Ilaahi: The Protection of Allah 5. ‘Noon’ for Noor-e- Ilaahi: The Light of Allah.
In the month of Ramadan there are 5 special acts of worship: fasting, night prayers, Quran recitation, spiritual retreat and the acts of worships of Laila-tul-Qadr (the Night of Decree). One who performs these 5 Ibaadat out of sincerity, he shall be entitled to the five rewards which I previously mentioned. Insha-Allah.
“Innallahu ma-allaziinat taqaw wallaziina hum-musinuun” – Allah remains with those who lives a good life and who do good. |
