Be not like those who forgot Allah - He made them forget themselves – Taqwa - Unity of Allah

[DawudTalut]

Peace be on you.
O ye who believe Allah! Exercise Taqwa of Allah; and let every soul look to what it sends forth for the morrow. And exercise Taqwa of Allah; verily Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. It is they that are the rebellious.
[Holy Quran, Surah Al Hashr, Ch 59: V 19 and 20]


TAQWA IS BASE
Allah, the Exalted, has made Taqwa as the basic condition for a momin (believer). Holy Quran has numerous verses which command about maintaining and establishing Taqwa. The one who acts on these commandments is called Mut’taqi. Those who do not act, are warned about ending.


WHAT IS TAQWA
Taqwa in the light of Holy Quran can be summed as:

i- Paying rights of God while giving precedence to pleasure of God over everything else, believing God as One and Unique, and believing God as source of all powers.
ii- Paying dues of creation of God for the sake of pleasure of God.

The Promised Messiah (upon whom be peace) has written:

‘It is obvious that to be mindful of the trusts of God Almighty, and to fulfill all the covenants of faith, and to employ all faculties and limbs both overt, like eyes and ears and hands and feet and others like them, and those that are covert, like the mind and other faculties and qualities, on their proper occasions and to restrain them from coming into action on improper occasions, and to be warned against the subtle attacks of vice and to be mindful of the rights of one’s fellow beings, is the way of perfecting one’s spiritual beauty.’ [Brahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part V, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 21, pp. 209. Essence of Islam Vol. II p.348)

FAVOUR OF ALLAH
In this era, among the believers, the Community of Promised Messiah is fortunate, as Promised Messiah has repeatedly explained the in-depth relation and nearness of God and high spiritual stations for them.


POSITIVE USE OF GIVEN CAPACITIES
Levels of piety, insight and perception are different in different people. It is commanded that everyone should do their best to fulfill the pledge made to God. If done so, it will be Taqwa. God has commanded that one should properly use hands, feet, ears and eyes etc and avoid forbidden.


PERSONAL DEEDS MAY NOT AFFECT OTHERS BUT SURELY AFFECT THE DOERS
There are certain things which, when done, do not affect others but such things bring benefits or harms to one. These things may be enjoined or forbidden by God.


If forbidden things are done, limits set by God are broken. If some thing has been commanded to be done and person does not do it, then it is disobedience of God. Thus going away from commandment of Allah is to go away from Allah and fall prey to Satan.


Promised Messiah (upon whom be peace) has taught that a believer should not act against pleasure of Allah. Not only that but a believer should be watchful against Satan’s covert attacks and be safe.


Misuse of modern inventions harm human morals and they fall prey to Satan. Mis-users think that it is their personal matter and they are not hurting any other person. But wrong acts leave one unable to pay rights and worship of God.


Drinking, gambling, abuse of internet and movies, TV, home-breaker-illicit-friendships etc are vices which drift people (especially young ones) away from believe in God and turn them into a running wound for society.


God is aware of thoughts and acts of human. When these are used in accordance with pleasure of God and in-time, one’s Taqwa is increased. Acting in contrary will take to the lap of Satan which is a sure loss.


ABOVE VERSES EXPLAINED
Monins (believers) are told to exercise Taqwa of Allah. Glittering, enjoyments and pleasures of this worldly life are not aim; these are perishable. Deeds done for the sake of pleasure of God will be beneficial in the Hereafter; in this regard continuous self checks are needed as careless is the root of sin. To have blessings of God in the Hereafter, it is essential to believe in God, to seek His pleasure and to keep the purpose of life in eyes.


First of above verses is among the verses recited on the occasion of matrimonial-sermon. In this verse, God is pointing out the believers should be mindful of Hereafter. Also the moral training of future generation is meant. It tells believers to excel in virtues. It can happen in the form of pious progeny which would seek pleasure of Allah, success in Hereafter and its deeds and prayers shall raise the status of parents in the Hereafter. Worldly pleasures in physical unions are temporary; real satisfaction is in pleasure of God.


Momin (believer) is being cautioned in various ways that they should never forget God and do good deeds for success and pleasure of God in this life and in the life Hereafter. God deeply watches every act of human; nothing hides from Him; each act will be judged. One has to be very careful at each step.


Claim of having belief is not enough; search for ways of Taqwa is necessary.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said:

‘In Islam, real life requires a death, which is harsh, yet one who accepts it is the one who ultimately gains life. Hadith states that man considers worldly desires and pleasures as paradise, although they are like hell. Pious person accepts difficulties in the way of God and that alone is paradise. There is no doubt that the world is finite and everyone has been born to die. A time comes when eventually all friends, associates and dear ones are separated. All the improper happiness and pleasure that is considered as delight, materialises in bitterness. True wellbeing and happiness cannot be attained without Taqwa. And abiding by Taqwa is like drinking a toxic cup. God Almighty facilitates all the delights for the righteous: ‘…And he who exercises Taqwa of Allah — He will make for him a way out, And will provide for him from where he expects not…’ (65: 3- 4) Thus, the underlying principle of wellbeing is Taqwa. However, in order to attain Taqwa, we should not make conditions. Once Taqwa is adopted, one gets what one asks for. God Almighty is Ever Merciful and Generous; adopt Taqwa, He will give you what you wish.’ …..Malfuzat Vol V…..


‘The passage of Taqwa is very difficult and only that person can negotiate it who completely abides by God Almighty’s will and does what God wants and does not follow his own preference. Nothing can be availed from pretence; therefore what is needed is God’s grace. This can come to pass if one prays in conjunction with making effort. God Almighty has enjoined both prayer and making effort.’ …Malfuzat, Vol. VI…..


‘None can be purified unless God Almighty purifies him. When the very soul of a person falls on God’s door with humility and meekness, God Almighty will accept his prayer and that person will become righteous and will be worthy of understanding the religion of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Otherwise, whatever proclamations about religion he makes and his worship etc. is of customary nature that he follows by merely emulating his forefathers without any essence of reality or spirituality.’ …Malfuzat, Vol. VI…


‘Attain Taqwa because Taqwa is followed by God Almighty’s blessings and a righteous person is saved from the calamities of the world.’

Holy Khalifah explains that there are many blessings, progresses, divine safety and special treatment of Allah with Jama’at. A majority in Community strivesfor Taqwa and pleasure of God. Everyone should endeavour, as they have made pledge of allegiance with Promised Messiah, they should attain nearness of God and high standard of Taqwa which a Muslim should have. Allah says He should not be forgotten. Those who forget Him are weak in faith; they forget Hereafter; their moral and spiritual conditions decline; they give precedence to worldly life over faith. How God will treat them in Hereafter, He knows best but they loose peace of mind in life and losses leave them useless.


If there is a claim of faith but Taqwa is not practiced, rights of God and people are not paid then it is evident that faith on God is not complete. People who disobey some of the commandments are called Fasiq.


Bai’at of Promised Messiah (a.s.) requires giving precedence to faith over worldly matters, under any circumstances. His Jama’at has to progressively serve purpose of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). The greatest of all bounties is Prophethood; non-Ahmadis prays for that bounty and simultaneously denies it too. To be thankful to God for His bounty, the Community of Promised Messiah should meet his expectations, should not forget Allah and should not sink in carelessness, to avoid Allah’s displeasure.
CONTINUES…..

 

[DawudTalut]

CONTINUES…..
TAQWA AND UNITY OF GOD
The Promised Messiah (a.s) came to serve his master, whom he obeyed i.e. the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), to establish Unity of God and to prove the existence of God.

The real Taqwa is instilled when one has complete faith in Unity of God, Taqwa and (spiritually) lost in Touheed. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote:

‘Unity of God (Tawheed) does not signify that one utters the words La ilaha illallah (There is none worthy of worship except Allah) while having thousands of idols in heart. In fact, a person who gives any of his own work, trick, deception or plan God-like importance or relies on a person as only God should be relied on or gives his own self the kind of importance which should be given to God, according to God he is an idolater in all these instances. Idols are not just those which are made with gold, silver, copper or stone and are relied on. Rather, everything, word or deed, which is given the importance that is God’s right, is an idol in God’s sight.’ (Translated from: Siraj-ud-Din ‘Isa’i ke Char Sawalon ka Jawab, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 12, pp. 349)

‘The true Unity of God, the affirmation of which is demanded by God and upon which salvation depends, is to believe that God in His Being is free from every associate, whether it is an idol or a human being, or the sun or moon or one's ego, or one's cunning or deceit; and to conceive of no one as possessing power in opposition to Him, nor to accept anyone as sustainer, nor to hold anyone as bestowing honour or disgrace, nor to consider anyone as helper or assistant; and to confine one's love to Him and one's worship to Him and one's humility to Him and one's hopes to Him and one's fear to Him. No Unity can be complete without the following three types of particularisation. First, there is the Unity of Being, that is to say, to conceive the whole universe as nonexistent in contrast with Him and to consider it mortal and lacking reality. Secondly, the Unity of attributes, that is to say, that Rububiyyat and Godhead are confined to His Being and that all others who appear as sustainers or benefactors are only a part of the system set up by His hand. Thirdly, the Unity of love and sincerity and devotion; that is to say, not to consider anyone as an associate of God in the matter of love and worship and to be entirely lost in Him.’ (Siraj-ud-Din ‘Isa’i ke Char Sawalon ka Jawab, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 12, pp. 349-350. Essence of Islam, Vol. I. pp. 169 – 170)

Regarding excellence of Taqwa the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘Excellence of Taqwa is this alone that man’s own being ceases to be and in reality this alone is also Tawheed.’

To give precedence to God over everything else is Taqwa and it is also abiding by Touheed. May Allah enable us to attain this standard.

REFERENCE: Friday Sermon, 3 May 2013, Hadhrat Khalifah tul Messiah V (may Allah help him), mta.tv and alislam.org