Islam & the Unity of Mankind
The Holy Messenger and transmitter of Islam, Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh) and all his divinely-sent deputies in his Ummah till the Day of
Judgement have the sacred duty to guide humanity as a whole towards Tawheed, i.e. Unity of Allah (Almighty
God) and for that, human brotherhood is vital. If the body of the Ummah (i.e. the Muhammadan Ummah); nay,
not only that, if the human body as a whole is divided, then that division will
always cause fissures in faith and shall not be produce the excellent
reunification of all souls on earth for the worship of one sole God, the
Creator of the heavens and earth, the very Source of all life.
Human brotherhood in Islam is that which sees to it that
Islam is not biased in base sectarianism, pre-judicial superiority or wilfully
divisive. It should crystal-clear that semantically Islam means peace. Islam
connotes surrender to the Will of Almighty Allah, peace with the Almighty,
peace with one’s self, peace with other’s self, peace with humanity at large.
There exists presently a deliberately machiavelic
distortion of the true and holy significance of Islam. It results from second
or third rate if not hearsay knowledge and it stems also from wrongdoings
committed in the name of Islam. Western ideology has purposely fabricated its
own image of Islam and is diffusing that image worldwide, thus creating a psychosis
(a disrupted and deep fear) about Islam and Muslims. This perverted image of
Islam has unfortunately been corroborated by ‘extremists’; term coined by the
same western prejudice to tarnish the sound image of Islam.
Our world today forgoes peace because it is obsessed with
superiority complex, ethnic manipulations, materialistic quest, pantheism,
territorial claims, and egoistic tendencies.
Humanistic Teachings
Islam teaches us to practice humanitarianism. We are all
human beings who belong to only one class and one group. We belong essentially
to the family of human beings without any discrimination whatsoever.
Almighty God
has never used any discrimination in the act of creation. If we look at babies
at a maternity we shall not be able to discriminate. Such is the Will of Allah
in the Holy Quran:
O mankind! Fear your Lord Who
created you from a single being and from it created his mate and from them both
has spread abroad a multitude of men and women. (4: 2).
Procreation, demographic explosion finds its origin in the
first man, Adam and the first woman, Eve. Biologically there is no difference
in human beings. Men and women emanate from the same world.
The Holy Quran keeps repeating this plain truth: O mankind, We created you from a male and a female and
made you into nations, and tribes, that you may know each other. (49: 14).
Human conception does not suffer from any discrimination in
the eyes of Allah. How can man now invent superiority? Islam favours the
concepts of human equality. It is the sacred duty of each human being to labour
in favour of equality. In Islam there is no degree of superiority or
inferiority, no disparity or segregation at prayer congregation between the
rich and the poor. At prayer, the Muslim is on a par with his brothers. And the
divinely commanded system of Zakat shows economic solidarity with a view to
redressing economic inequality.
Islam preaches the unity of Allah. It has never called on
open conflicts amongst believers. All previous revelations are accepted by
Islam because they emanate from Allah. Interpretations may divide believers but
the Holy Quran clearly states: Say, We believe in
Allah and that which was revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto
Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which
Moses and Jesus received, and that which the prophets received from their Lord.
We make no distinction between any of them and unto Him (Allah) we submit.
(2: 137).
Islam has never taught ethnic or religious discord. On the
contrary, we are being summoned to accept previous revelations and previous
prophets. There must be an inter-religious dialogue which will preserve peace
and clear doubts and differences. The Holy Quran requests us to live in
fraternal harmony as is testified by the following: The
believers are but a single brotherhood, so make peace and reconciliation
between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy. (49: 11).
Terrorists tarnish Islamic virtues
Islam is undoubtedly a non-violent religion. Agitators
imbued in violent action or terrorist acts are egged on by selfish motives
which have fortunately nothing to do with Islam. These violent instigators are
indulged basically in political manoeuvres using merely the shield of Islam to
tarnish its virtues. They cannot be called Muslims because they do not practice
what Islam orders them to perform namely: If anyone
desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be
accepted of him. (3: 86).
In fact Islam does not tolerate terrorism whatever form it
may be packed. The concept of human fraternity would be undermined. It would be
futile for the non-Muslim to allow himself to be blinded by the systematic
process of disinformation. Islam is clearly anti-violent.
Almighty Allah warns
those who utilise violence about divine justice which will be administered to
them. Anyone who disturbs public peace, threatens public order, takes the law
in his own hands, damages public property, openly commits acts of vandalism
etc. is being warned about Divine Justice: The
blame is only against those who oppress men and insolently transgress beyond
bounds through the land, defying right and justice: For such there is a painful punishment. (42: 43).
Islam stands for Freedom of Conscience
As regards conquests, conversions it must be born in mind
that Islam does not compel towards faith as it must come from the very heart of
the Muslim. It has unjustly been thought that Islam recommends fighting and
that Muslim Faith is directed by aggressive pursuits. The Holy Quran states: Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do
not transgress limits for Allah does not love transgressors. (2: 191).
Islam recognises the right of the individual in his freedom
of faith and is not inclined to force him towards conversation by force! Unto you your religion and unto me my religion. (109:
7).
May Allah enable mankind to meditate on His words of Truth
contained in the Holy Quran and explained by the special deputies of Allah who
acts as teachers and guides to bring them close to Allah and to a better
understanding of their relation with Him who created them and bestowed upon
them His mercy, provisions, shelter and love.
Love one another for the sake of
Allah and be compassionate, and Allah shall love you and use you as a vehicle
to guide other people to Allah and to live in harmony, both in this world and
the next. Insha-Allah.
In this era, I
have been commissioned by Almighty Allah to give you His message, to warn you
(from anti-Islam practices and about His divine wrath and punishment also) and
to guide you to Him. Should you listen to me and follow my lead, you shall have
felicity in both the worlds but should you cast the message aside and break
relations and mock the signs and revelations of Allah, then Allah suffices for
His chosen messenger, His Khalifatullah and His truth servants.
May Allah open the heart of humanity to recognise His light
and guide them to it. Ameen. In Allah we place our Trust and to Him the Return.
---Friday Sermon of May 13, 2016 (06 Shabaan 1437 Hijri) delivered by Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.