MUSLIM DEGENERATION AND ITS ONLY REMEDY
- Some time should be devoted each day to zikr, which means concentrating on the Omnipotence, the Greatness, and the Attributes of Allah Ta'ala, and to offer DUROOD (prayers) for the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam). In this connection, guidance should be sought from a “Sheikh-e-Tariqat” (a learned and saintly person), who should be carefully selected for his distinction in piety and his capacity to follow “Shariat” and “Sunnah”. He may prescribe certain “Wazaif” (special verses) to be recited during the times of “Zikr”. In case no such holy person can be contacted, it is suggested that the following “Wazaif” may be repeated a hundred times (one tasbih of 100 beads) each, both in the morning and In the evening:
- Third Kalimah,
- Durood (praying blessings for the Prophet).
- Istighfar (speaking forgiveness of Allah).
- Every Muslim must be considered as one’s real brother and must always be given affection, sympathy and sincere attention at all times, particularly when he is in need. The fact that a person professes the faith of Islam once from all Muslims, who must at all times refrain from causing him any physical or mental harm.
The above practices should be strictly enforced in one’s own life and, at the same time, efforts should be made so that other people may follow them as well. The only and the best way to achieve this is to devote some time specially for learning and inculcating in oneself these similar efforts. Thus a joint and collective campaign will automatically ensure for the growth and expansion of Islam in its true form, which is the real and urgent need of the day.
It was exactly this type or work, which every Prophet of Allah Ta'ala had to do as his sole occupation. For the sake of this work, almost all Prophets had to bear untold miseries and perils. The worthy Companions of Hadhrat Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam), as well as many other distinguished Muslims of the early period of Islam, spent the whole of their lives in striving hard and struggling for the religion of Islam in this very manner. Most of them sacrificed their lives in the sacred path of Allah Ta'ala. It will be our misfortune and enormous loss if we do not devote a part of our lifetime, however small a period it may be, towards propagating and perpetuating Islam. We must confess that it is due to our negligence in this vital task that the Muslim society has reached its present state of low morale and virtual collapse and, therefore, we must rise and make manifold efforts.
Previously, the very purpose of being a Muslim was to be ready to lay down one’s life, honour and wealth for upholding Islam and the Kalimah. In those days, if anyone did not do that, he was considered to be ignorant and a useless fellow. But alas! today, although we feel proud to be called Muslims, we remain totally unmoved by the fact that every particle of Islam is being destroyed one by one before our very eyes, and not a finger is moved to check this terrible loss. If we realize this we can appreciate that the propagation of Islam is our real mission in life, and therein lies our very existence as Muslims and also our success, glory and ultimate salvation. The opposite is also true that by neglecting this important task we suffer from moral degeneration and social degradation. The only lethargic and injurious past and take immediate steps to revive the act of Tabligh as our major occupation. It is only then that we can expect the mercy and compassion of Allah Ta'ala to flow, to bring us triumph and happiness both in this life and the hereafter.
This does not mean that we should give up everything else, i.e., our profession-trade or employment and take entirely to this work. It really means that, as we devote our whole-hearted attention and time to other material vocations, we should also attend to this work. As and when some persons find themselves ready to take up this sacred task, they should try to contact their friends or such persons in their neighborhood who may already be engaged in this work and spend a few hours a week in their company. The next step will be to spend, under the guidance of those people, full three days every month outside in a locality or a village other than one’s own. Later, but as early as possible, to pass one full month, or better still forty days annually in some distant area in similar manner. Lastly, the real requirement in “Tabligh” is to spend continuously four months once in the lifetime, in a given place or area. All these periods are to be spent entirely in the pursuit of learning and propagation of the true faith of Islam and adopting the actual way of life under the sacred code of “Shariat”. Thus our efforts will become extensive and ultimately reach every person, rich and poor, employer and employee, Land-Lord and Peasant, learned and ignorant, to join hands in this work and become bound in the ties of true Islam as ordained by Allah Ta'ala and the Holy Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam).
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