Friday Sermon of
Hazrat Amirul Momeneen
Zafrullah Domun

05 June 2009

FRIDAY SERMON

of Hazrat Imam Zafrullah Domun

5^th June 2009

After reciting the Tashahhud, the Ta’uz and the first chapter Al Fatiha of the Holy Quran, Hazrat Amirul Mo’menine, Zafrullah Domun recited the verses 93 and 94 of the Holy Quran in Arabic and then he gave its translation as follows:

It does not become a believer to kill a believer unless it is by mistake. And he who kills a believer by mistake shall free a believing slave, and pay blood money to be handed over to his heirs, unless they remit it as charity. But if the person slain be of a people hostile to you, and be a believer, then the offender shall free a believing slave; and if he be of a people between whom and you is a pact, then the offender shall pay blood money to be handed over to his heirs, and free a believing slave. But whoso finds not one, then he shall fast for two consecutive months — a mercy from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise. [4:93]

And whoso kills a believer intentionally; his reward shall be Hell wherein he shall abide. And Allah will be wroth with him and will curse him and will prepare for him a great punishment. [4:94]

These are two verses of the Holy Quran and no one needs to be a scholar to understand their meanings. But unfortunately in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan it appears that the so-called scholars of Islam do not have enough grey matter even less enough righteousness or a pure heart to understand these simple words of Allah. Over there and in some other countries in the Islamic world, the representatives of the worldly organization known as “Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat” (Protection of the finality of prophethood) are busy inciting their ignorant followers to maim or kill innocent, peace-loving Ahmadis. According to published information it appears that they have killed more than 100 Ahmadis since 1984 and this year alone they have already killed at least six. What is worse is that these wanton killings go unpunished.

It is quite unfortunate to say it but Pakistan is one of the most populous Islamic countries with a population of about 176 million but yet it is also one of the most backward countries in the world. Its literacy rate that is those who are at least 15 years old and who can read or write is 49.9% for the whole population but between the sexes it is 63% for the male and 36% for the female. This is an Islamic country which apparently should have followed the teachings of our beloved master Hazrat Mohammad ^saw and should have made the search for knowledge a must for both men and women but yet most of its people (almost two thirds) are very poor according to international standards. In most western countries (the unbelievers) the literacy rate is almost above 90 %. Only through this statistic you can imagine how backward they are. During their 60 years history they have not been able to realize the ideals for which this country was created in the first place. It was created so that Muslims may have a place to live their lives in peace and liberty but almost all its governments that have succeeded one and another have never been able to raise the standard of this country a little bit. What we read or hear in the news does not augur any good at all for this Islamic country. One may justifiably wonder how come an Islamic country does not make such progress as to give its population a decent standard of living. One may wonder what the brakes to such development are. They are many. But there is no denying the fact that the so-called ulamas are to be blamed for this situation.

The Muslim Scholars (ulamas) should have displayed a certain broadmindedness and liberalism in their views but unfortunately most of them have portrayed an Islam that has not been able to come to terms with modernity. The fact is that they prefer to practice or to speak of an Islam that was practiced in the past rather than the Islam that can adapt itself to any type of circumstances. By the Grace of Allah, Jamaat Ahmadiyya , through the enlightened guidance and  leadership of its founder, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is fully equipped to  practice a liberal Islam that can adapt to all circumstances. These days when we read the fatwas of some Muslim Scholars from such Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia or even Egypt, one wonders how such people could be allowed to tell others what to do or not to do according to Islam. Recently an Egyptian scholar has said that the holy prophet’s companion drank his urine. Immediately a higher Mufti from Al Azhar has had to give a broad explanation about this matter explaining that although such incidents are written in Books of Hadiths, they should not be taken as example. But for Ahmadi such a hadith is spurious and need to be rejected because it goes against the Holy Quran. Hazrat Masih Maood ^as has taught us that any hadith that contradicts the Holy Quran should be discarded whatever its source.  These days we see that highly reputed Muslim islamologist like Mohammad Arkoun and to some extent even Tariq Ramadhan are saying that we need to understand Islam from the Source, namely the Holy Quran and use hadith as long as they do not contradict the Holy Quran.

The ulamas establishment is not at all happy with those who contradict them. They think that they are the custodians of Islam and they know better than anyone else what to do. But amongst themselves there is plenty of disagreement. Take the example of Fazlul Rahman Malik. Most people are not even aware of him. Let me tell you a few words about him from what I have read up till now. Here is a brief note about him in Wikipaedia: 

Fazlur Rahman Malik (September 21, 1919 – July 26, 1988) was a well-known scholar of Islam; M. Yahya Birt of the Association of Islam Researchers described him as "probably the most learned of the major Muslim thinkers in the second-half of the twentieth century, in terms of both classical Islam and Western philosophical and theological discourse."

Rahman was born in the Hazara area of British India (now Pakistan). His father, Maulana Shihab al-Din, was a well-known scholar of the time who had studied at Deoband and had achieved the rank of alim, through his studies of Islamic law (fiqh, hadith, Qur'anic tafsir, logic, philosophy and other subjects).

Rahman studied Arabic at Punjab University, and went on to Oxford University where he wrote a dissertation on Ibn Sina. Afterwards, he began a teaching career, first at Durham University where he taught Persian and Islamic philosophy, and then at McGill University where he taught Islamic studies until 1961.

In that year, he returned to Pakistan to head up the Central Institute of Islamic Research which was set up by the Pakistani government in order to implement Islam into the daily dealings of the nation. However, due to the political situation in Pakistan, Rahman was hindered from making any progress in this endeavour, and he resigned from the post. He then returned to teaching, moving to the United States and teaching at UCLA as a visiting professor for a few years. He moved to the University of Chicago in 1969 and established himself there becoming the Harold H. Swift Distinguished Service Professor of Islamic Thought. At Chicago he was instrumental for building a strong Near Eastern Studies program that continues to be among the best in the world. Rahman also became a proponent for a reform of the Islamic polity and was an advisor to the State Department. He died in 1988.”

 Since Rahman's death his writings have continued to be popular among scholars of Islam and the Near East. His contributions to the University of Chicago are still evident in its excellent programs in these areas. In his memory, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago named its common area after him, due to his many years of service the Center and the University of Chicago at large. He wrote several books including:

• Islam,
• Islam and Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition,
• Major Themes of the Qur'an,
• Islamic Methodology in History, Central Institute of Islamic Research, 1965.

He was a polyglot. He knew Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Indonesian and English. He was called by Ayub khan to revise the syllabus of higher learning in Pakistan. But he was forced to go away when the ulamas whipped up the public sentiment against him and he had to leave a major endeavor for reform undone.

That was the destiny of Fazlul Rahman in Pakistan. There are many others in the Arab countries or even Iran who have met with the similar fates. If you read about recent attempts at reform in Islam, you will know about many of these personalities. One of them Dr Ibrahim Souroush has even gone so far as to say that even prophets can come in Islam!!!!

But Jamaat Ahmadiyya is not a person. It has some millions of adherents and all of them cannot be thrown out of Pakistan. Hence its members are persecuted because the ulamas know that argument wise they are no match to even ordinary Ahmadis. The fact is that Ahmadis espouse an Islamic world view that all right thinking people who are objective and whose heart are full with God fearingness find very appealing. Hence if Ahmadis are allowed to freely propagate their views soon the views of a majority of Muslims around the world will change. Hence some pseudo ulamas constitute themselves in persecution machinery that will thrive only as long as the masses are kept in ignorance. They delude the masses into believing that Ahmadis are enemies of Islam and hence they have to be killed or they have to be persecuted.

We, Ahmadis in Mauritius cannot in the least imagine what is the fate of our Ahmadi brothers in Pakistan. In this multi racial country we all live peaceably together. But there a majority does all it can to cause distress to poor Ahmadis. The Ulemas say that Islam is in danger with the Ahmadis. But what they do not realize is that they are a greatest threat to Islam than anyone else. They cannot understand the true meanings of the verses of the Holy Quran despite all their assertions to the contrary. If today   the world of Islam is suffering it is because of the misdeeds of these ulamas. They have a parochial view and they are not at all ready to allow anything to change their existing paradigm. Their paradigm is at a lower level. They are content with it. They are afraid to look beyond because they fear that what they might come to know might change their paradigm. But Allah gave us the shariah because its teachings are adaptable to all circumstances. We need to study and try to take the best conclusions for all the people of Islam and not for our own selves in order to rule over others through what we know.

In 1953, there was a Judiciary commission that was set up by the then Government to inquire into the riots and disturbances against the Ahmadis. The report by Justice Munir and Kalyani is an important piece of writing. It may be googgled and read. For today I will be content only to quote the following:

            ““Their outward object is to denounce Ahmadis, their Khalifa and Sir Zafrullah Khan but their inward object is to create disorder and lawlessness in our country.” (Report of the Court of Inquiry constituted under the Punjab Act of 1954 to enquire into the Punjab Disturbances of 1953) All those who are interested in knowing the mindset of these mullas should read this report.

Now just imagine if Allah sends His curse on someone who kills a Muslim knowingly what will He do with a country or a group that systematically encourages others to commit this heinous crime? Let me read what a columnist, Irfan Siddiqui has written recently in the newspaper Jhang

 “Where is that landscape whose dream was seen by those who witnessed their children being skewered by lances, their daughters and sisters becoming victims of the lust of human animals, and saw the blood of their elders irrigate the highways? Where is Pakistan after 62 years of its formation? Democracy is a circus spectacle, constitution the torn garment of the indigent, law the nose of wax to be reshaped by the strong, the judiciary a cathouse of those without honour, justice a saleable commodity, parliament a gathering of the thoughtless, administration a clutch of alligators, government of men who worship the stomach under an order of the avaricious.

Nuggets in The Friday Times of April 3, 2009

Our prayers are that Allah withholds the hands of the perpetrators of wrongdoers. May He help them to realize their mistake in time before they receive more dire punishments.