Text Box: In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful FRIDAY SERMON HAZRAT AMIR’UL MOMENEEN MUHYI-UD-DIN AL KHALIFATULLAH MUNIR AHMAD AZIM 13 February 2009 (Summary of Friday Sermon on Zikr Allah) After having greeted everybody with the Salutations of Peace, the Khalifatullah read the Tashahhud, Taouz and Surah Al Fatiha and afterwards he read the following verse from the Holy Quran and said:  “As for him who disregards the Zikr of his Lord, He will direct him to ever increasing retribution.” (Ch. 72 Al-Jinn V.18) I am continuing the Sermon which I had started last Friday on the Remembrance of Allah (Zikr Allah). The verse of the Quran which I have just cited is giving a severe warning to those people who turn their backs from the Zikr of our Lord. They do not remember at all their Creator, and thus Allah says that He will bring these types of people towards a severe punishment. If one analyses well this verse, one will see that Allah is teaching us (humans) a good for our own well-being, and the words which Allah has used in this verse: “As for him who disregards the Zikr of his Lord”, thus by the word: “the Zikr of his Lord”; even though Allah has not mentioned it directly here in this verse, but reference is being made to “Laa Ilaaha Illallah” – There is no god but Allah (The Creator of the Universe Who possesses all powers and Who is All-Powerful). We must always look for those things which is a source of purity for us and with which we will stay clear from all impurities. A small example is that one must have soap to clean dirty clothes, or one usually takes shampoo or perfumed soap when bathing to keep one’s body clean and perfumed – so that no dirt or other impurities may be found on his body. Likewise, the thing which will keep our heart clean and pure is none other than the Remembrance of Allah and this Remembrance of Allah is the best alternative to purify us and rid us from all dirt which there may have been in our heart. Moreover the Remembrance of Allah protects us from the wrath and punishment of Allah. Usually during the periods (menses) of women and girls and in moments of delivery after pregnancy, these women and girls stay one whole week or more than a week without praying obligatory prayers. Physically their body is impure and they have been created in such a way that Allah has decreed such a phase for them in their lives, and they must go through it every month. The Muslim women or girls must not think that when their menses starts, that they are now free to do what they want, now that they have been exempted from – prayer, recitation of the Holy Quran, and to read its translations while taking it in their hands – in these moments of impurity. Why don’t they do these acts of worship? This is so because Allah has prohibited them from such acts of worship during their menses, where they are physically impure. But their souls are on the other hand pure, and the fact that they are in their menses does not mean that they do not practice the Remembrance of Allah (Zikr Allah). They must on the contrary maximize the practice of the Remembrance of Allah. Allah has certainly mentioned the acts which are forbidden for them during their menses or during the period of pregnancy, but even though they cannot practice these acts of worship, but they must practice all the more the Remembrance of Allah because it is only their body which is impure, not their soul. Even though you women you wash yourselves clean, but you remain impure for as long as the periodic impure blood does not stop flowing out of your body. That is why Allah has not given you the permission to pray or take in your hands and read the Quran when you are in such a state. It is through Remembrance of Allah though that you will be able to feed your souls with spirituality and to ward off satanic temptations. Your souls ask for that kind of purification and this cannot be done by pouring upon yourselves soapy water and perfumes. The only way to keep your souls pure is in the constant Remembrance of Allah. The Remembrance of Allah is a means to keep the soul and heart spiritually clean, and through this means, you will remain ever close to Allah and be under His protection, be it physically or spiritually. The Remembrance of Allah which the woman will be doing is the Zikr Qalbi (Remembrance of Allah through the heart); which means that the heart will be in constant communion with Allah the Almighty. Instead of remaining without doing any act of worship, in these moments of “rest”, you (women and girls) should practice Remembrance of Allah and thus, by this means keeping Satan away from you. If you neglect to remember Allah in your heart by His Most dignified names, and by not supplicating Him through invocations (of the heart); then Satan will have the necessary strength to pull you away from the presence of Allah. Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran in Chapter 31 (Luqman) Verse 34:  “Therefore, let not worldly life beguile you, nor let the Deceiver deceive you concerning Allah.” Thus, this means that do not let Satan deceive you, and do not let him incite you to commit sins whereby the wrath of Allah can befall you. Why? This is so because in these moments of bleeding, you women and girls think that you are free from acts of worship, and perhaps you would have thought also that there is no need to practice the Remembrance of Allah also. No! This is not true if you think in these lines. On the contrary a Muslim woman must always remain in constant contact with her Creator and by practicing Remembrance of Allah she is thus replacing those lost moments whereby she could not have made her obligatory acts of worship. Remembrance of Allah is another act of worship which will keep her soul pure spiritually. It is important to note that by practicing Remembrance of Allah through the heart (Zikr Qalbi), makes one arrives at a high state of spirituality similar to the other acts of worship which one usually does. By the putting into practice of the Zikr Qalbi, one’s heart and soul is attached all the more in submission towards Allah – the Beloved. Thus, it is not because of such moments of impurities that Muslim women and girls think that they can let go of good works and the putting into practice of the Remembrance of Allah. Remember that Allah Himself says: “Wa Laa Zikrullahi Akbar” – Verily, great is the Remembrance of Allah. In a Hadith reported by Abu Said Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him), the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said: “There is a lot of people who practice the Remembrance of Allah, while lying comfortably in their soft beds, and for this action of theirs, Allah will give them elevated ranks in Paradise.” (Tirmidhi) In another Hadith, it has been mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has said: “If you remain occupied in the Remembrance of Allah all the time, the angels will come to embrace you, and will shake your hands even if you are in your beds.” Once, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The Muffarridin have surpassed you all”. The Sahaba (May Allah be pleased with them) asked him: “Who are these people?” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then replied: “Those who always devote their time in Remembrance of Allah.” When you practice Remembrance of Allah, you will never lose in any way. Practice the Remembrance of Allah in periods of prosperity and this will benefit you in times of difficulties and sufferings. For you to understand well what I mean, I will cite some Hadiths: Salman Farsi (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said: “If a person practice the Remembrance of Allah in moments of tranquillity, joy and prosperity, then each time that this person will face a problem or a difficulty, the angels will say: ‘This voice is known to us; it is the voice of a servant (of Allah) who is in difficulty’ – thus, these angels will plead Allah in his favour. On the other hand, for the one who does not practice the Remembrance of Allah in times of prosperity or joy, thus, if a misfortune befalls him, and if he then remembers Allah, then the angels will say: ‘This is a strange voice’, and they will not plead Allah on the behalf of this person. In another Hadith, Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) has said: “Paradise has eight doors; there is one among these which is reserved for the Zaakiriin.” He also said that the one, who remains occupied in the Remembrance of Allah, will not have any hypocrisy in him and Allah will be happy with that person. Once, on returning to Medina from a journey, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stopped in a place and asked (his companions): “Where are those people who have surpassed all people?” The Sahaba replied: “Those who had started the journey earlier surpassed us all.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “It is those people who remain attached and devoted in Remembrance of Allah. One who desires to taste the pleasure of Paradise should practice Remembrance of Allah a lot.” In another Hadith, Abu Moussa (May Allah be satisfied with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The difference between one who practice the Remembrance of Allah and one who does not is like the difference between the living and the dead.” (Bukhari and Muslim) All people love life and fear death. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) wanted us to understand that a person who does not Remember Allah, even if he is physically alive, that he is in fact spiritually dead, and his life holds no value whatsoever. I therefore end this part of the sermon of the Remembrance of Allah with these words for today. This life (of solitude) is not liable to be called life; alive is the one who remain in permanent contact with his Beloved Allah!