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Religion, Morals and Material Progress – The Understanding of their Relation.

DawudTalut

Peace be upon you.
Peace be on you.

Hazrat Khalifa tul Messiah V (may Allah be his Helper) said:
A question, with more intensity than before, is being spread in the minds of young people especially and in the society in general, by those people who are against religion or by those who have gone away from religion rather God too, due to lack of proper guidance….The question is:

If one already has good morals or if worldly education leads to good morals then what is the need of believing in religion.


ANALYSIS

The religion or its believers make the same claim of teaching good morals. The worldly people say they have developed morals for them and the morals of majority of worldly people are better than the morals of people who believe in religion.



Especially Islam is made target for such comparison. The majority of believers of other religion have almost lost relation with faith. It is only Islam, whose majority of believers express their connection with their faith, even majority of non-practicing Muslims openly call themselves Muslims and relates to faith. That is why the real attack is on Islam. Effort is done to poison the mind of our children and youth to make them away from Deen (The Way , The Religion) by various ways by raising various points. In the mode of education in the West especially, the special emphasis is drawn to do exploration and research, which is a good thing and attention should be given to it. But it should be done in proper way.




When young people or adolescents seek answers to the questions (which come to minds or induced in minds) in home, the parents and elders either do not have time to answer them due to societal and economic needs and indulgence or simply they lack knowledge. That is why youths’ questions are attempted to be suppressed instead of answering them. For this reason adolescents think religion, (be it Islam) claim to be truth but it is not the practical solution in accordance with era or it does not have answer.



Or it happens too that the teaching given to children and the deeds of elders disagree. Children remain mute up to an extent while hearing religious matters but when they get independence, they drift away from religion and fall prey to those who make effort to move the people away from religion. That is why, despite Islam having beautiful teaching and being alive religion, now there are people being seen in Muslims who deny religion and God.



Thus in these circumstances, each of us need to pay attention to how we make ourselves to practice Deen (way, religion) and how to save our next generations?




There is no doubt in it that Islam is a perfect religion. It guides to solutions of various problems. Quran Kareem is the perfect Book. Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) presents its perfect exemplar / model to us. This model developed a change in Sahabah (The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them); they understood religion and morals too and achieved physical progress as well. They obtained the understanding of keeping the religion, morals and material progress at respective places.




Thus our young, our children who are stepping in adulthood, and especially the grownups should remember (as it is responsibility of grownups to take care of next generations) that we have to make effort to understand the relation between correction of morals, material progress and religion, and then mold our lives according to that.



Understanding of this point will enable

= the elders to take care of next generations,

= paths of progress in spiritual and physical aspects of lives will be opened for young, and they will realize the beauty of teaching of Islam, and also that those who speak against it are liars.



This matter which, today, is raised with intensity by religion-less or anti-religion people, is not a new thing. Previously, time to time, such questions have been raised so that objection against religion is kept maintain because they never tried to understand the religion in right way, And so-called religious leaders presented the wrong solution (by not understanding the religion) and increased the confusion of the educated section of society.




In this era, Allah the Exalted granted His benevolence to us that He sent Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) to resolve the confusions created by these problems. He (on whom be peace) developed the sense of understanding of these in us. It became easy for us to understand these problems and to find out their solutions.



Hazrat Musleh Mo'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) once delivered a sermon in its light……He explained the relation between correction in morals, material progress and religion and how Islam views it, and how Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) explained to us its reality by his action and practical model…….. Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (may Allah be his Helper) explains the subject by getting benefit from it.



We tell the world and it is true that Islam is such a religion which Allah the Exalted has sent by keeping human nature in view exactly. Islam is natural religion. Religion and morals and those human needs which are related to his body are so much common that it is difficult to make distinction between them.



A person who believes in religion, he cannot separate morals from religion. He cannot say that religion has made him free from world and he does not have needs. If one has this thought the wheel of material progress stops. Religion, morals and material progress are interlinked. Despite that they are different.



Those who do not believe in religion try to get free by saying that good morals and material progress are human needs.




But a true Muslim says religion is required too as it shows path to reach God. Thus it is difference of thought that how we see these things and how we have to make their mutual links. Other religions are becoming dead, it is only Islam which proves relation between religion, morals and material progress. But majority of Muslims (not understanding the reality of religion) linked the matters related to morals and material with religion in such wrong way that they did excess and caused the people go away from religion instead of presenting religion in beautiful way and attracting others towards it.



Next to Salaat and Fasting, there are morals and worldly needs. Worldly needs may include making an Association or convening a Gathering; scholars consider these as parts of Islam. If anyone does not participate in these, he is called Kafir (who denies, disbeliever) and Murtad (apostate) according to these so-called clergies. This attitude is now being seen in Islamic world; it expands and takes over everything; things go from calling Kafir and Murtad to wars. Each sect has its own Fatwas. That is the reason, various Islamic groups are doing killings; they want to implement their version of Islam by making their own code of morals or so-called laws.




In Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, they are doing bloodshed on the name of religion by using their self made laws. A French journalist came from the captivity of so-called Islamic government in Iraq and Syria. There he saw things, their deeds and laws which were against Islam, as according to his knowledge of Islam, Holy Quran and Hadith. He brought this observation before the officials of so-called Islamic government there, they replied, ‘we do not know what is in Quran and Hadith, it is our law and we are doing according to it.’



That is how real teaching of Islam is being distorted.



What is happening in Yemen is because the Fatwas-of-choice are given the name Islam and air strikes are being done on innocents. One side is wrong and other side is wrong too. The solution is not to kill innocents.




It is being noted in Islamic history (still happening) that various Molanas and Aalims has made their own religions. Therefore there is no reality has left in the Islam which they are practicing as compared to the real Islam. That is why, after following such Fatwas-issuing Ulamas / clergies, majority of Muslims have drifted away from real Islam. Unqualified things are happening on the name of spirituality and faith.



On the other hand, the Western developed people (already away from religion) try to make spirituality and morality a part of material world.

=Suppose, if they ever ponder over revelation they say it is part of human acts.

=If they ponder over morals they do it with point of view that morals are beneficial for human in the worldly life.

=If they ponder over religion they say low level illiterate or less educated people get saved from crimes on the name of religion up to some extent because of somewhat moral improvement, provided if right religion is owned.

=They also say that those who already have good moral, what is the need of religion to them.



But reflection will tell that material progress, morals and religion are so close that a common person does not know where a limit begins and where it ends.



To understand it we study the pure life of Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). He (s.a.w.) is world’s physical life reformer, moral reformer and spiritual reformer. His (s.a.w.) pure life combines all these aspects.


====


CONTINUES
 
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DawudTalut

Peace be upon you.
CONTINUES

If on one hand he commands ‘al-duao mukhul ebadate’ (prayer is the essence of worship) then on the other hand he stresses upon the completion of spirituality…..That is to say, only Salaat is not asked to offer, one has to cover its stages too, one has to increase spirituality…. The relation of Dua / prayer between Allah the Exalted and servant is like the relation between mother and child. Dua means to call. The caller calls when he is sure someone will help him. No one calls enemy for help. When we pray or want to pray, how we should view it?



According to Hazrat Musleh Mo'ud (r.a.), three things must be present in Dua (prayer).


Firstly, one should be certain in heart that his request will be accepted.


Secondly, one should have confidence that Whom he calls, He has the capacity to help.



Thirdly, there is natural affection which takes human away from every other thing and towards Him [Allah the Exalted] only .



In above, first two are points of wisdom because if one is not sure his call will be heard and one does not have confidence that Whom he is calling has power to help then it is unwise to call Him for help, it leaves Dua useless. The third thing is natural affection and love which makes the eye close to see anyone else and takes to Beloved only. The example of child and mother is there. The child has natural connection with mother. It does not matter whether mother may be able to help the child or not, he calls her only. Even a child who is sinking in sea and who know his mother does not know how to swim, if mother is near him yet he will call her for help, he does not call anyone else. It is an emotional relation. About it, Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said ‘al-duao mukhul ebadate’. That is, the believe of human cannot be made complete without Dua. Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) has declared the relation between servant and Allah the Exalted like relation between child and mother. Close the eyes and run towards Him.


====


The second factor is of morals. We see there are very fine and finer aspects in the life of Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) which even a person with sharp understanding cannot reach to, without his (s.a.w.) guidance.



For example, good conduct with wives and expression of love for them. These are basic morals and are very important to keep the environment of home pleasant. With how much detail, he (s.a.w.) would take care of wives, it is narrated that when any on his wife drank water from a utensil, and when he had to drink water he would place his mouth at the same place where she drank from. It is very small thing but how much fine point it is! Human love is not shown with big gestures but it reflects through minor things.



Not only this, study of Holy Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) character shows that he taught such education in big moral issues and showed his such model that it seems as if he (s.a.w.) studied and taught morality all his life.




Mutual relation of human, mutual relation of relatives, details of personal character of a human, falsehood, mistrust, avoiding bad thoughts about others --- In all these matters, teaching of Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) are perfect and complete. No one can show such model (even one may get twenties of lives) as Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) showed to us.


====


The third element is material success. We find that the teaching of Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) guides us in this too. For example, for a city life, he (s.a.w.) drew attention (as great engineers do so when new towns are made) to keep the roads clear and wide, to make clean water arrangement, to keep the paths clean, to make the houses roomy and airy.



He (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) drew our attention with respect to all material and physical things whether they are governmental issues or social living, or trade or industry. He mentioned every issue at proper time; their details are available to us in his character.



Despite all this, he (s.a.w.) did not declare everything as part of religion [contrary to today’s religious leaders]. For example, there is a narrative about him. Once some farmers were putting male part of date trees in female counterparts. He (s.a.w.) passed by and suggested what if these are not combined like this, they can meet through air. People did not combine them that year (or next) which resulted in very little amount of fruit. He (s.a.w.) asked the reason, people said he (s.a.w.) stopped them. He (s.a.w.) said: I did not give order, you know these worldly issues better than me.




Hazrat Musleh Mo'ud (r.a.) said that, here, Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) separated material issue from religion. That tongue was of Messenger of Allah which told the people not to combine things, the same tongue would tell them commandments of Allah the Exalted. Despite it was the tongue of Messenger of Allah, he acknowledged the material issues as material matters and said, ‘you know these things more’.



But if today’s molvis (some clergies) say things which are undoable and anyone do not believe it, they declare the person is outside the circle of Islam; issue of disbelief and apostasy is araised.



On the other hand, according to the western so-called developed or developed group, it is neither essential to believe in religion, nor to respect teaching of religion, nor there is sacredness of morals.



They declare everything as material. Their philosophers said it was not the question that how God made the world but the question was how human made the God. [nauzobillah: we seek refuge of Allah]. To them, idea of God is the result of human evolution; even if Being of God is a reality, this idea is the final ring of progress of brain; human wanted to find a good model, when they could not find it in human, they created a model in their imagination, out side the realm of humanity. First attempt was not successful but as human continued to ponder he progressed till he created a perfect imagination. It is the called God. So this is the concept of God near philosophers. Thus these people, like this, declared that God is part of matter. Many of previous philosophers believed in this God.



The latter philosophers, due to making a material God, continued to drift away from religion. Now the current philosophers, due to thought that God is a self-invented idea have gone towards atheism.



On the name of education and bright mindedness, majority of people living in Western countries has denied the Being of God; they consider only morals and material progress is the whole thing.



Current molvis / clergies stimulate the ideas of these people who like atheism when these molvis declare their everything and every idea as part of religion; they have spread bizarre ignorance.



Thus if we see from this angle, we find current Ulama / scholars are mistaken, and also those who consider religion as material, and those who deny religion are mistake ridden.



We, Ahmadis, are fortunate that Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) – saving us from these issues -- have guided us to look to Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to find the true reality.



The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) mentioned the reality as to keep balance in each issue and to pay its right; it is the true Deen (the way, religion). He (s.a.w.) said Surely worship is essential, very important and it is the purpose of creation but ‘wa lenafseka alaika haqqa wa lezojeka alaika huqqan wa lejareka alaika huqqan’ …your self has right on you to pay, your wife has right on you to pay and your neighbor has right on you to pay.



To do so it is essential we use three types of means:

First thing: To say Dua (prayer), bow before Allah the Exalted and worship Him.


Second: To have control over the self. Suppress (low) sentiments. To ponder over human psychology.


Third: To be honest in work and profession and it is essential to learn knowledge of world and science.



Pondering tells us, for the right of self, there is Dua and relation with Allah the Exalted. Then there is to have control over emotions sometimes emotions get out of control and make one looses the rights of self or encourage one to do oppression. Then by increasing knowledge, and with honesty in duty, we can improve spiritual, moral and financial conditions of our life.




Likewise, to pay the right of our family there is Dua, control over emotions and to fulfill their material needs.



Similarly, the neighbours, as said ‘the neighbours has the right over you’.

The right of society will be paid when we shall do prayer for it, pay their rights, shall understand their psychology and accordingly shall convey the message of Deen (the way, religion) which has to be conveyed so that they are informed about Deen. With the increase of our knowledge and hard work at job, we shall play our role in total national progress; it comes under paying rights of neighbor and society. When everyone will be making effort in society with this thought, that society will be the best example of spiritual, moral and material progress.


CONTINUES
 

DawudTalut

Peace be upon you.
CONTINUES

The reason of Muslims’ bad condition is that they have not given precedence to God’s religion and did not pay attention to above mentioned issues….If they had given precedence to religion sent by Allah the Exalted they would have taken care of related matters too…. They have given the name religion to their selfish desires and practicing it. The result is: Instead of telling excellences of Islam to others, by following self-made selfish religion Muslim is are cutting neck of Muslim; they neither got religious blessings nor worldly benefits. All they got is, they are begging to earthly people for the solution of their each problem. Today, it is seen in Muslim world everywhere.



Western nations have placed religion under world (as they think religion is nothing, world is everything) but they gained world. Surely they have gone stray but they gained their objective, though through wrong way. But Muslims neither got religious success nor worldly success.



For the correction of people of both above types, in this era, Allah the Exalted has sent Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). Allah the Exalted sends His appointees in these conditions, who by correct guidance, set religion at its right place, morals at their right place and world at its right place. Apparently they bring spiritual message, but these elements are deeply connected.



By achieving excellence in spirituality, correction in morals is sure. With nurturing the morals, material success is sure too.



But it is not compulsory that the person who is successful in material life, he has good morals too. It is not necessary that the person whose morals are good, he is good in religion too.



The reason is that Allah the Exalted wants to bring human towards Him, it is the purpose of human’s creation. Thus He placed moral reforms and material reforms under religion so that a person who is attentive to Him will get rest of things automatically.



Allah the Exalted says that Perfect momin / believer gets all progresses. But for those who are earthly only, Allah the Exalted says about them, ‘…dhalla sa-yohum fil hayatid dunya…’ [18:105]...Their all effort is lost in the world…….Huzrat Musleh Mo'ud (r.a.) gives its example: As if, a stairway is present for the one who comes from top to bottom but stairway is not present for the one who wants to go from the bottom to top.



Thus it gets known that there are three separate means to get these three elements but one means is common; it is to make perfect connection with God the Exalted…If one makes effort to have morals, one will get these. If one makes effort to get material success one will get it. The result of each of these efforts will remain in its circle, it will not be borne outside. But those who reform spirituality shall get all elements. The Companions (Shabah: may Allah be pleased with them) would not do Bai'at that they would keep the roads wide or they would keep cleanliness or they would take care of other material things but they would recite

لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله

[la elaha illallah Muhammad ur rasullulah: There is none worthy of worship but Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger]



Due to it, their morals would get corrected, and with the moral reforms their worldly life would get reformed surely.



In those days, standard of truth of Muslims were model. Due to Muslims’ trustworthiness, worldly people would make them trustee of their business.



Seeing the good behavior of Muslim with their subjects, non-Muslims would like them to be their rulers…In the time of Hazrat Umer [may Allah be pleased with him: Second Khalifah of Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him)], at a time, Muslims had to leave Syria because it was not possible to compete with Roman forces as they were in very large numbers. But then Syrian subjects wept and insisted that Muslims should not leave and they would be helped by locals to defend --- even though Syrian were Christians and Romans too were Christians. But it was high morals and governance which caused Christian Syrian to offer help Muslims against Roman Christians.



Thus even though sovereignty is a worldly thing but Muslims’ sovereignty was not worldly, they received it due to religion, that is why it followed religion. That is why it carried such properties that despite religious differences, subjects wanted Muslims’ government to stay.



Though Muslims received kingdom due to

لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله


[la elaha illallah Muhammad ur rasullulah: There is none worthy of worship but Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger]



But it was not a verbal claim only; they got it by virtue of having true believe. Lip servers loose the world too but the one who gets true religion his morals and worldly life become good too.


May today’s Muslim ruler understand this point and run their governments in this direction.


Hazrat Musleh Mo'ud (r.a.) said that Hazrat Promised Messiah (a.s.) used to tell a narrative about a trader with respect to relation with Allah the Exalted. He was going on a journey, he left a large money with the Qazi / Judge of the city as trust. After returning he asked back the money bag from Qazi. Qazi plainly refused that he never keep trusts; what bag and what trust!...The told him several signs but Qazi refused he never keep such trusts……..Someone told the trader that king arrange court on certain day; every person can reach to him, he should go and present his case. Trader did so but he did not have any proof; king said without proof Qazi cannot be caught……Then the king told him a solution that his procession would go to city on certain day, he should stand near Qazi (as high officials stand at roads for welcome)……The king said, ‘When I shall come, shall talk to you informally. You should pretend as if you are my friend. Do not be afraid that I am a king. I will ask you, you have not met me since long. You tell me you was off at journey, came back after long time, I had given trust to a person, there is problem, I am trying get money back’…….The king further said, ‘I shall say you should have come to me for the resolution of matter, then you should say : all right if there will be no solution, I shall come to you.’…………. Then on that day, the king came, question answers took place. Qazi, present to welcome the king, heard all this. When the king’s ride passed, Qazi came to the trader and said, ‘One day you came to me and you talked about a trust. My memory is weak, tell me few signs, the trader retold the signs which were told last time. Now because Qazi had seen king’s attitude and dealing, quickly said, ‘why did not you tell me these signs earlier? The trust is saved with me, just bringing.’


CONTINUES
 
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DawudTalut

Peace be upon you.
CONTINUES

So if the friendship of a worldly king, who has limited power, can give a person such status that important people are afraid of this person, then how is it possible that a person does have friendship of God the Exalted and the world does not come and fall at his feet?



Thus by having the true religion, a person can have the whole world. Through Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) these things was granted to Companions, they did not get these through world; world was given to them but as subordinate of the religion. For this believe is needed – the believe which should absorb pleasure of God the Exalted.



A person who has acquired complete believe how can he abandon high morals? If a person adopts all aspects of morals and practice them, he will get truthfulness, honesty, trustworthiness, Taqwa / righteousness, purity and everything. It’s essential result will be he will be practicing knowledge, skill, awareness, ability and hard work. As the result he will get the worldly success too.



Thus a believer should pay most attention to spiritual relation -- not like those who think declaration by tongue is enough. Love of God the Exalted cannot be with tongue, it can be with heart only. When it happens, human possesses everything. If human does not get perfection, he cannot get reward. Only perfection bears benefit, effort should be made for that.



Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) used to say that…. These days only those get benefit from us who have intense connection (with him), either those who fully oppose -- e.g. molvi Sanaullah sahib etc, he is having benefit, no one pays attention to junior molvis -- or those who have perfect sincerity. Low connection does not give benefit. If human walks towards God the Exalted, he will treated like earlier ones were treated, it may be happen in this era too. If human make effort for this, it will happen only then. God the Exalted has no animosity to anyone. Need is of the matter that we should completely put himself before God the Exalted; let ourselves fall at His threshold then everything will be attained automatically and the progress which is essential for us, will be attained too automatically. A common example is that all limbs of human are heated by sitting near fire, then how is it possible if human come to God the Exalted, leaving everything, and he does not get share from fazl (grace, blessing) of God the Exalted. Thus we should make effort to get God the Exalted, understand the reality of religion sent by Him, make His love something which become inborn. This very thing will establish high standards of our moral and we shall continue to get worldly successes too. If we shall try to get share from the light of Allah the Exalted, we can really get beneficence. If we shall try to get share from this light with a determination then the false (which is a darkness) will automatically be separated from us. Due to the light of God the Exalted laziness, deception, cheating and other ills like usurping right of others (these are all darkness), these too will automatically go away. Our morals too will continue to rise and worldly progress will be gained too.



Thus, living in this society, if we have to save our generations from the ill effects of earthliness; if we have to make them understand the relation of religion and morals; if we have to prove to them the real worldly success comes being under the religion; and if we have to connect them to religion then we ourselves have to make connection with Allah the Exalted too. May Allah enable us to do so. [Aameen]


Reference: Based on Friday sermon (April 24 , 2015, UK) by Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (may Allah help him with His Mighty Help) – alislam.org and mta.tv
 
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