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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Friday Sermon
HAZRAT AMIR’UL MOMENEEN MUHYI-UD-DIN AL KHALIFATULLAH
Munir Ahmad Azim
18 December 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 said:
The end of the month of December is approaching and the festivities have already begun. All people seem joyful, each of them preparing themselves for the great end of year festivities. Most people await these events each year, whereby lots of partying are programmed. The children also love this period of the year, because they await Santa Claus with their chosen gifts. All sorts of fire-crackers are commercialised and people will be buying all kinds of them to fire in the sky. Publicity about male and female actors are posted everywhere for the grand launching of films to the taste of the public. Thus, there is a buoyant changing atmosphere to make known that Christmas and New Year are approaching really fast, in the streets of Mauritius…
You will also see the so-called great defenders of Islam, great defenders of the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah (on him be peace), and so-called great defenders of the elected Caliphate (by man) how they waste their money in thousands of costly fire-crackers and others amusements for Christmas and the end of year. They do not hesitate to buy costly toys and accessories for their children for these occasions. There are some who put Christmas trees with their decorations in their home to celebrate Christmas, and there are even some who assist the midnight mass, with beer in hand and cigarettes in the mouth in style. They celebrate on these occasions without taking conscience that Christmas is in reality an insult to Islam. But during these festivities, it is these so-called great defenders of Islam who is foremost in celebrating, foremost in buying gifts, fire-crackers and toys for their families and children.
They would spend the night till odd hours in amusement, barbecue and I am sure (like I witnessed personally) Tahajjud and Fajr prayers will not be performed in the appropriate hours; they would wake up late the next day, and would wish Merry Christmas, prepare good food, go to the seaside with family and friends, beers in hand to feel the spirit of the festivals. When they would do so, they would vomit; do inconvenient things like fight etc, and thus projecting a false image on Islam and its teachings.
In the capacity of a Caliph of Allah and Reviver of faith, I would like to ask a question to all brothers and sisters in Islam, without distinction, whatever your Aqeedah. Firstly all Muslims believe in “Laa Ilaaha Illallah” and “Muhammadur Rassoollullah”, they also turn towards the same Qibla , perform the same prayers, read the same Quran which Allah revealed to our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), we observe the same fast in the month of Ramadhan, go to perform the Hajj to Mecca. You do not see a group of Muslims in the period of Hajj going to Jerusalem or on Darga in India – Hajj is Hajj, be it by people of different Aqeedah, of different opinion. Hajj remains Hajj!
Thus my question is:
Brothers and sisters in Islam, will you do the same unislamic things this year like you used to do last year (for the end of year festivities)? Will you follow the other religions’ cultures during these time periods? Has the time not come to stand up to your Islam in your everyday life? Have you ponder over what would happen if Allah all of a sudden takes back our souls and we are directed before Him to account for all our deeds? Do you ponder over the fact that death does not look at the age of people?
Satan is tempting you with all sorts of things and is beautifying them for you, so that his group increases in hell. For how long will you continue follow the steps of Satan and neglect the path of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him)? It is the teachings of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) which shall lead you in the right path, where you shall obtain peace of mind and tranquillity and a better reward in the hereafter; an eternal reward – not a temporal one. Has the time not come to thank Allah for all the favours He bestowed upon you when He gave you Islam as religion? Has the time not come to prostrate before Him alone, thank Him for everything He has done for you? Verily, He chose you to be among those who read and recognise His unicity, which this itself is definitely the keys of the gates of paradise? Is it like this that you thank the One before whom one day all of us shall account for our deeds?
Become conscious of all these dear brothers and sisters before it is too late. React so that you may not become the target of Allah’s wrath, for He is the One because of whose grace you exist. Be aware that Allah wishes good for you. In the present age, you are fortunate to have among you the Caliph of Allah, a Reviver of faith, whereby through this humble one Allah is sending His warnings and also good tidings.
This present sermon makes you – O brothers and sisters – aware of your bad deeds and to ponder over them (and to change them). This is so because you have chosen Allah as your God, and Islam as a way of life. Thus take into consideration this sermon, listen to it well and react as believers (who have faith in Allah) like Allah describes in the Holy Quran. Allah says:
“The response of the believers, when they are invited to Allah and His Apostle that he may judge between them, is only to say: We hear and we obey; and these it is that are the successful.” (Chapter 24 Verse 52)
Islam is a complete and perfect way of life which the Creator of mankind has prepared Himself for all people as a favour upon us. Allah says:
“This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion” (Chapter 5 Verse 4)
There is no doubt that Allah knows best how we must live on earth so that we may attain success and reap His pleasure. If you have accepted Islam, it is not only you name which must have an Arabian origin, but it is your overall being which must submit completely to Allah. After having submitted completely to Allah, you accept all His decrees, and stays in the complete obedience of Allah. Recall the deal which Allah has done with the faithful, and recall His promise:
“Surely Allah has bought of the believers their persons and their property for this, that they shall have the garden…” (Chapter 9 Verse 112)
There is no doubt that we must accept without reticence the commands of Allah. This is the true definition of a Muslim; who submit himself completely to Allah. We do what Allah has commanded us to do, we please Him, and we stay far away from the things He forbade for us, and we accept His decision and reject the wrong practices immediately. Even when you have the habit to practice these things every year, even if all the family used to do it, and even if all people are doing it, you must stop doing it now. Recall how Allah has described the true believers, and recall His promises. There is no doubt that the promise of Allah is always true.
Now let us meditate on the Last Day – the Day of Judgement; a day when all things will turn upside down, a day when mankind will be resurrected. Allah describes the people on this fateful day:
“(Some) faces on that day shall be bright, looking to their Lord.” (Chapter 75 Verses 23-24)
“And (other) faces on that day shall be gloomy, knowing that there will be made to befall them some great calamity.” (Chapter 75 Verses 25-26)
This day, men will proceed in groups and they will receive their books in which has been recorded all their deeds on earth. There are some who will receive their books in their right hand, and there are some who will receive their books in their left hands. Imagine that day when all people will be resurrected together, with some having dark and desperate faces! Imagine that day when you will come among those in distress, are looking for some good deeds which you may have done, not knowing what is happening. Allah describes these people as saying:
“Man shall say on that day: Whither to fly to?” (Chapter 75 Verse 11)
Imagine that day when you will be resurrected with those who have prayed along those who believed in trinity, who have committed Shirk, who have blamed Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). Then let me make it known that Allah has made the Holy Prophet seen heaven and hell. He (peace be upon him) has said: “One who imitates a people, is one among them.” (Ahmad and Abu Dawud)
There is no doubt that celebrating Christmas and New Year is imitating the infidels, the enemies of Islam. Bringing a fig tree (Christmas tree) in the house of a Muslim, celebrating New Year Eve, giving gifts and firing fire-crackers on these occasions, is purely adopting anti-islamic practices. Fooling the children with Santa Claus is also contrary to the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). By these practices we are selling our Islam, our conscience and imitating the Christians. Take into consideration the words of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who put emphasis on differentiating ourselves with the infidels, till a Jew said about him: “This man wants to devastate our religion (till it remains nothing in it) and wants to contradict us in it (our religion).” (Muslim)
Allah says clearly in the Holy Quran:
“You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion.” (Chapter 109 Verse 7)
A Hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar says that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said: “One who stays in a foreign country and celebrates their New Year (and festivals) and act like them till death comes over him, he will be raised among them on the Day of Resurrection.” (Baihaqi)
An anecdote from the times of the Holy Prophet of Islam: When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) emigrated to Medina, he found the Ansar (the inhabitants of Medina) celebrate two festivals which they inherited from the times of ignorance (before Islam). The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Allah the Exalted has replaced these days with better days: the day fasting ends (Eid-ul-Fitr) and the day of sacrifice (Eid-ul-Adha).
O brothers and sisters in Islam, Christmas and Christian New Year do not form part of the teachings of Quran and Hadith. Neither the Sahaba used to celebrate them, not their next generations, nor had the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged such festivals. On the contrary these are innovations (bidah) – thus do not fall into such traps, where Allah the Almighty will turn His back to you. Have we found the religion of Islam to be incomplete? Does it lack festivals? Does it lack distractions? Why must you turn towards innovations of others who are not attached to the unicity of Allah? Will you reaffirm that Allah has lacked something to put in this religion of Islam that we have to take from the enemies of Islam?
Due to lack of time, I end this sermon here for today. May Allah give me the strength and courage to continue this sermon next week, the 25 December 2009, Insha-Allah. |
