The era of Imam (RH)'s reformative activities was towards the end of 20th century. One of his most important service to the humanity is the reformation of Muslim community during this period.
In this era, the eastern nations and races were very badly influenced by the poisonous and contagious wave of western nation's materialism, greed of wealth, refusal to religious faith/belief, non belief in Allah (SWT), lust and greed of worldly things alone.
Among all the races living on this earth, Muslims suffered huge losses and damages in their spiritual and intellectual areas.
The Challenges of the Era
Influenced by the poisonous wave of western world, Muslim community was suffering in various areas:
- Total lack of religious feelings and sentiments
- Lack of desire for love of Allah (SWT)
- Only desire of worldly affairs and accumulating wealth
- Greed and want of various worldly things
- Gaiety and desires of worldly pleasures
- Pride, boast, and haughtiness
- Desire of power and authority
This was the only aim of one's life. Other than this none of the other objectives of the life was considered to be worth achieving. The thought of the real Lord, Creator of all of us and the thought of 'hereafter life' was becoming weak.
The Imam's Call to Spirituality
This was the dark and critical period of 'materialism and want of this world alone', in which the brain power and rational thinking was predominant everywhere and was the way of life. In such a dark and critical era, Imam (RH) gave the call and message of spirituality and asked us to work on our 'Qalb' (Heart).
In His (RH) convocation call of spirituality, he (RH) explained that all the worldly and religious duties to be performed only for the sake of Allah (SWT) and for His happiness and pleasure only and to gain His approval. In performing these duties there should not be any motivation or aim of greediness, selfishness etc. i.e. no personal vested interest of this world should be involved.
He gave the call of love of Allah (SWT), who is the creator of this universe and our true Lord and The Most Merciful. He also called upon everyone to free themselves from the love of mortal things of this short lived worldly life. He showed the path of everlasting comfort, relief, joy and eternal satisfaction, calmness and respite to all of those who were struggling and hoping to get such satisfaction through the mortal things of this short lived world.
He gave the call to the people of the 'hereafter' (the next world which is sure to happen after death of everyone) to those who were perplexed, disturbed and troubled by the need of fulfilling the means of livelihood of this world to prepare themselves to be present before Almighty Allah (SWT) with purified soul on the Day of Judgment. Once these people were truly concerned and focused on the 'hereafter' rather than the temptations of this short lived world, He freed them up from the worry of livelihood of this world through his effective 'Duwa and blessings'.
Not just through the words of the call, but he literally showered on the soul and inner self and heart of all the seekers of the love and closeness of Allah (SWT) with his spiritual power, focused attention and respite them with peace and tranquility. True seekers were completely satisfied. Commoners and those who were not truly sincere were also not deprived of his company and closeness. He made the dead Qalb and soul alive.
The Imam's Sermons and Teachings
The Call to Worship Allah Alone (Monotheism)
"Allah (SWT) has planted the feeling (sensation) of 'love' inside the human being as His 'deposit' and He expects that this precious LOVE AND AFFECTION should only be 'returned' to Him and not to anywhere else. At the same time, Allah (SWT) planted the 'nafs with its several desires and temptations' which will attract the human being towards itself. Between these two extremes, Allah (SWT) created human beings with the sense and ability of discretion and with wisdom and intellect. Allah (SWT) also made clear the objective of the 'feeling of love' for Him only and He hid Himself behind innumerable 'Noorani' (saintly/luminous) curtains. To conquer Nafs and its unlimited desires/temptations/pleasures by adopting the swordly (power/strength) of 'La Illah' and to install the love of Allah (SWT) inside our Qalb is called as Islam."
Condemning Shirk (Associating Partners with Allah)
"Allah (SWT) has a keen sense of honor and He doesn't tolerate anybody else's existence other than Him. Shirk (which means equating someone or something with Allah (SWT)) is the biggest sin whether it is evident (bold) shirk or hidden (concealed) shirk. Allah (SWT) do not pay any attention till one is free from the love of others than Allah (SWT), wants of others than Allah (SWT), temptation and greediness."
The Call for Devotion to Allah and Rejecting Worldly Attachments
"Allah (SWT) pays attention towards 'filthy and dishonored us' with His divine favors, bounty and beneficence, but on the other hand we instead of running towards this best form of wealth we are running towards the dishonored world which is mortal and is disliked by Allah (SWT). This world is dishonored and mortal and due to this it is also going to destroy its seekers/lovers too."
The Call for Sincerity, Loyalty and Attachment to Allah
"During the course of each action/deeds, process, in each motion/movements and gesture there should be the desire that our Lord and Beloved Master Allah (SWT) will be pleased with us and we will gain His approval. We should be very cautious that no action or deeds should make Allah (SWT) upset or angry. Our daily work, business, Halal earnings, truthfulness, abstinence from fraud, betrayal and prohibited/forbidden things all should be done with the intention and only with the intention of pleasing Allah (SWT), otherwise all the hard work and efforts will be wasted and destroyed. Allah (SWT) should approve and pleased with us under all circumstance."
"Hence, there should not be any greed or desire of benefit nor the fear potential loss. Here, there should be only one expectation and that is the objective of gaining Allah (SWT)'s approval and fear of His disliking. This is the stage of fear of Allah and abstinence."
"This is the sight of 'Ikhlas'. At this point visible as well as hidden shirk is completely destroyed. The dominance of the 'nafs' is also conquered."
The Call of Spirituality in the Era of Materialism
"Come! let me explain you the reality of 'spirituality', whether spirituality is real or just a story/legend/imagination. Hope that if you pay close attention then you will fall in love of spirituality (you will love it). And then you will try to gain (achieve) it."
"Allah (SWT) used following ten ingredients in the creation of human being. These are: 1) Qalb (Heart) 2) Soul 3) Ser 4) Khafee 5) Akhafa 6) Nafs 7) Baad (air) 8) Naar (fire) 9) Maa (water) and 10) Khak (soil). Sufia referred these ten ingredients as 10 Lataief."
"Except for the soul, Qalb is the superior authority. Rest all other Latiefas are under the control of Qalb. All the organs of the body receive their 'nutrition' from the Qalb."
"O believers in the materialism you are totally relying on the brain, note that the expanse and span (breadth) of brain is limited. You can't exceed these boundaries even by one step. And, this is also a fact that if the Qalb supplies poisonous blood to any of the veins of the brain, then that vein will become useless. As a result of all that your research will be finished and instead of researching in the laboratories you will end up in the mental hospital. But, the Qalb which is related with spirituality, Allah (SWT) has gifted this Qalb with extreme and unlimited expanse and span (breadth), no one can estimate the boundaries of the Qalb."
"Even though brian has limited but huge expanse it has always been subordinate to the Qalb. As if Qalb is dominant over the brain. It is the favor/obligation of Qalb who is supplying correct and clean blood to the brain. The moment it supplies impure blood the brain will stop working. Qalb is dominant over the brain, similarly Soul is dominant over Qalb. If the soul leaves the body then the Qalb will stop working and it will result in the death of the person. Soul is the king of the body. Its circle of influence/dominance is spacious and extensive (wide). It can reach to The empyrean (Throne of Allah, SWT) and infact upto its creator i.e. Allah (SWT). The ability of Soul to reach upto its creator i.e. Allah (SWT) and establish a special connection with Him is called Spirituality. This is a great wealth."
"Roohaneen (spiritual mystic people) and the seekers of Allah (SWT) (those who are very close to Allah, SWT) has so much power in their spirituality that if they focus on a mountain then the mountain will be shattered into tiny little pieces but they don't use their spirituality for such aimless work, but they like to focus and work on the dead Qalb and Soul of the humans (the superior of all creatures) and make the Qalb and Soul alive. They clean off all the layers of dust and ignorant from the Qalb and make it shiny and capable of being presented in the court Allah (SWT). Whenever it is required these saints have use their spiritual power for the worldly needs too."
Glossary of Terms
- SWT (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala)
- "Glory to Him, the Exalted" - Used after mentioning Allah
- RH (Rahmatullah Alayh)
- "May Allah's mercy be upon him" - Used for deceased scholars
- Qalb
- The spiritual heart, the center of spiritual consciousness and connection to Allah
- Nafs
- The lower self or ego, the source of base desires and temptations
- Shirk
- The sin of associating partners with Allah or worshipping anything besides Allah
- Ikhlas
- Sincerity and purity of intention in worship, doing everything solely for Allah's pleasure
- Lataief
- The subtle spiritual faculties or elements within a human being (10 in total according to Sufis)
- Duwa
- Supplication or prayer to Allah
- Noorani
- Luminous, saintly, filled with divine light
- Roohaneen
- Spiritual mystic people, those with advanced spiritual development