Text Box: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful Friday Sermon HAZRAT AMIR’UL MOMENEEN MUHYI-UD-DIN AL KHALIFATULLAH Munir Ahmad Azim 06 November 2009 (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 read the following verse of the Holy Quran:  Yaaa – ‘ayyuhan naasut-taquu Rabbakumullazii khalaqakum min-Nafsinw waahida – tinw – wa khalaqal minhaa zaw – jahaa wa bassa minhumaa ri –jaalan – kasiiranw – wa nisaaa – ‘aa. Wattaqullaa hallazii ta – saaa ‘aluuna bihii wal – ‘arhaam: ‘innallaaha kaana ‘alay-kum Raqiibaa. (Ch.4 An-Nisah V.2) O people, keep your duty to your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind), and spread from these two many men and women. And keep your duty to Allah, by Whom you demand one of another (your rights), and (to) the ties of relationship. Surely Allah is ever a Watcher over you. Status represents prestige, power, freedom, position and rank which a person obtains in relation with others in a society or community. The status of a man is determined by biological factors, religion and visions which he has and wants to accomplish in the future. In any religion, status is determined by the purpose of creation of mankind, faculties which they have and the roles and functions which they have to take part in this world. Islam shows that the object of the creation of man is to bring into the existence of people such faculties which will enable them to become good servants of Allah and to manifest in themselves the attributes of Allah in themselves. The Holy Quran tells us that men and women have been created from a sole soul (nafsan wahidatun), that this is the best of creations (ahsané taqweem), and that they have the right to compete with each other in good deeds (fastabiqoul khairat) and this must become their aim and aspiration in life. Thus, self-respect, mission and aspiration in life depend on the capacity of a person. According to the Quran men and women have the same status and role. Now let us see what does moral order means? Moral order represents something pure and chaste in society. Islam says that moral order cannot exist without the first-hand cooperation of both sexes and the fact that both must fulfil their responsibilities well. The Holy Quran says that “help the pious and just.” (Wataawanno allal birray wat-taqwa) and that men and women must observe a certain distance to safeguard their chastity. Islam has set out measures of protection for women against unlawful eyes, against people who want to harm and abuse them, be it physically, morally and religiously (spiritually), when they restrict these women from practicing fully their religion. Islam teaches that men and women must have the same level of education. The Holy Quran states that education is priceless and also says that only the “Ulul al Baab” (the intelligent ones) will be able to understand the signs of Allah and their importance and become closer to Allah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said that the duty of each Muslim, be it male or female, is to acquire knowledge. Spirituality, the right to acquire divine knowledge is fundamental, both for men and women. The role of woman is not restricted only to mundane duties, like house chores, but she must give her all to please Allah. She will be able to do so when she becomes aware of her rights as servants of Allah and does lots of religious works which shall bring a change in her behaviour, whereby she acquires piety and spirituality. Moreover, she is able to concentrate in meditation of Allah whereby she gains access to a world of secret which her Lord reveals to her. Mankind has this faculty from Allah, and Allah has promised both men and women honour if they take the right path which leads to Him and remain firm in this path, come what may. Life, honour and riches; these are three important things which are needed in a modern society. The Holy Quran has established measures to safeguard life, honour and riches of a woman like it establishes measures to safeguard the life, honour and riches of a man. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said in his sermon during the last pilgrimage (Hajj) that: “Your own person, your riches and honour are sacred like the sanctity of the day of pilgrimage in the month of Hajj and this place, is the House of Allah. Do not lose it. Islam recognises that money is independent and everybody wants to acquire it for their own security, for it is essential for freedom of deeds. The Holy Quran gives us rights to inherit from either a man or a woman. Moreover, the woman has the right to inherit from a parent, a close family or her husband, and her dowry is fixed according to the salary of her husband at the time of their wedding (Nikah). This dowry which the Muslim woman gets is her own money and her husband has no right on it. She does what she wants with this dowry – it is her own personal property. In a society family is fundamental. Islam shows us that the happiness of a family is where the husband lives in harmony with his wife and vice-versa. He gives his wife all her rights and respects her and in turn his wife recognises the rights that her husband has on her. The Holy Quran says: “Husbands must treat well their wives, with gentleness (Wa asheruhunna bil maaroofay). Pious women must show obedience to their husbands and safeguard their honour with the help of Allah and knowledge which they have acquired; they must share it among themselves, among their friends. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has told his male companions that the best amongst them is the one who treat well his wives and I (the Holy Prophet) am the best among you in my treatment towards my family (my wives). The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said to the ladies with authority that they must take an oath in the name of Allah in Whose hand is found the life of Muhammad (peace be upon him) that they must not consider that they have accomplished their duties to the religion of Allah as long as they have not served their husbands in the best of ways. When there will be this harmony, this respect of each other’s right, then the legal marital rights between a Muslim woman and her husband reaches a higher status, where the husband treat his wife or wives well and thus can tell that she has great virtues and morality before the eyes of Allah. He is thus accomplishing his rights as a husband and pleasing Allah by such a noble behaviour. In Islam, the basis for conjugal life is affection and love between both spouses. The husband is the guardian (Qawaamoum) of his wife, whereby he must do everything to protect his wife and give her, her necessities. On the other hand, the wife must hold her husband in great respect, preserve the secrets of her home, and take care of their children – all these are her responsibilities. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said that divorce is the most detestable thing in the sight of Allah. When Islam sees that a marriage is about to break, that is the couple’s household is not going well, where no intervention can ameliorate the situation, where there are too many disputes between the spouses and no solution, in these cases Islam give men the right to give Talaq (divorce) to his wife, and also gives the married woman the right to obtain Khula (liberation from marriage). The Holy Quran commands that divorce or liberation from marriage which the woman asks for must be done in a good and proper way where neither the man nor the woman must fret over this situation. In Islam, marriage is a sacred engagement. Man is guilty if he bullies his wife and mistreats her. In Islam, a wife has the same status as her husband: they share the same purpose of creation, their duties towards Allah and their responsibilities towards others are alike. In the times of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and his successors, Muslim women went to the Mosque, accomplished the pilgrimage, fasted and gave charity from their own riches and revenues, only for the cause of Allah. They used to accompany their husbands on warpath and used to give water to the wounded. Some even took part in wars during the times of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Women must have great respect and gratefulness for the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) of Islam, because he felt their agonies and have saved them from a miserable life. Through divine revelations, and with a kind and sensitive heart, he brought through the revelation of the Quran the rights of women and gave them their rightful respect and share of rights in this life, just like their male counterparts. Now fourteen hundred and thirty years have passed since the emigration of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to Medina and the rise of Islam in its full glory. Before the advent of Islam, women had no rights to make their voice heard against an unjust situation. Nowadays we see that women have fallen into the traps of ignorance which this modern life presents and do not really know the true value of their rights. In this present era, through the coming of this humble one and the rise of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, if Allah wills, Allah will revive the true status of women and lead them towards spirituality, even more than men. May Allah help each of us, men and women to ponder over that which I have told you today in this sermon, and may you take charge each of you your Islamic rights which will make you prosper in this life and in the next also. The ladies must not also exceed their limits and men also. All must act according to the instructions which Allah has established for you. Insha-Allah you will respect the Quran and recognise its true value, and recognise at the same time your duties towards your spouses. Ameen.