Lecture by Maulānā Khalīl-ur-Raḥmān Sajjād Nu’mānī ḥafiẓahullāh
Translated by: Mufti Abdullah Moolla
We have no idea at all about the era in which we live. In no unclear terms, with all due respect to you, I inform you that at this moment in time, the sifting process from the side of Allāh Ta’ālā is moving ahead with full speed.
From the millions of people, there will be just a few whom Allāh Ta’ālā will accept as believers, i.e., people of īmān (faith). The rest of the people will exit the fold of Islām, they will become Murtad, i.e., renegade, they will support the Munāfiqīn, i.e., hypocrites and they will join and be part of the army of Dajjāl. I am speaking about the present moment. I am saying this in the light of hundreds of aḥādīth. This is not a normal time or era. I am saying these words, “This is not a normal time or era” for the last twenty to twenty-five years. This is an era of change; whenever there is an era of change, there is first a sifting process that takes place.
This is the time and era that is being described in these verses wherein Allāh Ta’ālā will separate and remove the pure and genuine believers – they will be very few. Listen to this and bear it in mind very well. There will be very few of them, i.e., believers. The rest will be dirt. We are living all together, no one recognizes the other, and no one will be able to make out and distinguish either. However, each person can recognize his or her own self. We keep a watch on others but never look at ourselves.
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What are the signs of Nifāq, i.e., hypocrisy? Who is a Munāfiq, i.e., hypocrite?
A genuine believer never fears conditions and circumstances. A genuine believer never fears any government. The reason for this is that whoever fears Allāh Ta’ālā, he will never fear any creation. As for the one who fears the creation, this is a sign that he has not yet recognized Allāh Ta’ālā. He has not recognized the power of Allāh Ta’ālā. He has not recognized the justice of Allāh Ta’ālā. He has not recognized the might of Allāh Ta’ālā. He has not recognized the glory and grace of Allāh Ta’ālā. He has not recognized anything. In fact, we have not recognized Allāh Ta’ālā at all.
What we refer to as īmān, it is not the full īmān. Īmān is not just saying the words of the testimony of faith. Attesting to and saying the words of the testimony of faith is Islām, not Īmān.
Īmān means to recognize Allāh Ta’ālā in accordance to His being, as He is, with His names and qualities. To recognize Allāh Ta’ālā as one ought to recognize Him, this is īmān.
If a person ill-treats his mother, disrespects her, and then someone asks him, “Who is this to you?” he replies, “It is my mother.” Does this behavior denote recognition of ‘the mother’? In the case where you do not accept the judgement issued by a judge, you do not accept the court ruling, but instead, take the path of rebellion. Now, someone asks, “Who is this?” You will reply that it is the Chief Justice. The question is then posed to you, “You do not accept his judgement. You do not accept and submit to his power. You do not believe that he has authority. So, you saying “this is the Chief Justice”, does it entail accepting this person as a judge?
Such a person who supposedly ‘accepts’ this person as a judge, even if he takes a rosary and sits from morning to night and says ‘you are the judge, you are the judge’, he can say this a thousand times after every ṣalāh, but if he does not accept the court ruling, you tell me, in which jail will he be thrown? Will he not be punished for rebellion of the state? Will a case of contempt of court not be held against him? He can continue saying ‘you are the judge and I accept you as such.’ How is this accepting the judge as the judge?
We have to believe in Allāh Ta’ālā as we ought to believe in Him. This is called īmān. Īmān is to believe, accept, and recognize Allāh Ta’ālā as is the right of accepting, believing, and recognizing Him. Such a person will never be fearful. Such a person will never lose hope and become despondent.
Each and every person is in fear. Each and every person is filled with worry. We are witnessing a unique state and condition. This is a very dangerous condition. If I do not say all of this to you at this moment, then I will be sinful. I will be caught in the court of Allāh Ta’ālā. I will be taken to task for not saying that which I was supposed to say. You start and carry on with the story of Sayyidunā Nūḥ ‘alayhi as-salām, you talk about the color of the dog of the companions of the cave. You talk about the length and breadth of the ark of Sayyidunā Nūḥ ‘alayhi as-salām. These are the topics of the lectures and discourses today. Hardly anyone speaks clearly, distinctly, and directly. Hardly anyone touches on the bitter topics. The reason for this is that funding will begin to dry up.
These are the final moments and chances to mold and adopt true, proper, and genuine īmān. write it down, these are the final moments that are slipping away.
Allāh Ta’ālā has begun the process of sifting and removing the hypocrites from the Ummah. This process is going ahead very fast. Governments are becoming Murtad. Yes, becoming Murtad. These are the winds of Irtidād which people do not understand and are not grasping or comprehending.”
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