Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 6th October, 2023
Sermon 1 : Social Adl is not equal distribution of means
In Surah Maida, Allah (s) has ordered believers to establish Adl.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ {8}
O you who believe! Be upright for Allah, bearers of witness with justice, and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably; act equitably, that is nearer to Taqwa, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is Aware of what you do
Taqwa is security and Muttaqee is a secured person in every segment of life from every destructive danger and calamity both in the world and hereafter. If man forms a secure society and Ummah than this person is Muttaqeen for which Quran says are addressees of guidance. They are ones who have secured their human abilities. Man needs this security utmost specifically when we see our society everyone realizes that nothing of ours like life, wealth, woman, rights, limits are all insecure. Like we always have fear of robbery, thefts at home and when outside on street the same fear of bike, car, mobile, money being robbed. In government offices, mosques, markets and everywhere he finds himself unsafe. Then for security we make individualistic arrangements then also we don’t get the feeling of being secure. A big quantum is desperate to leave Pakistan for the main reason of being insecure in this society from every perspective of material, spiritual and even religious. Man is not having this much power to grant protection for himself. The government, leaders and all category of people are under feeling of insecure whether in courts , police and in fact these security organizations have become biggest threat of insecurity for people. Pakistan is the leader in religious sentiments and even good deeds, welfare activities are the highest but still these good character people are also insecure. This means we are religious , good people but not Muttaqee (secured) and neither are we secure nor others are secure from our tongues. The Muslim is one from whose hands, mouth others are secure says the Prophet (s).
We are religious people with high sentiments in all sects which are expressed. The more religious emotions are expressed the more people feel they are insecure from these sentiments. The reason is because religion is without Taqwa. The foundation is not based on Taqwa. We have made organizations, madrassah, mosque, sects but did not keep the foundation on Taqwa. All the religious people desire Taqwa and try to acquire Taqwa in their own way at times by living a simple life. They believe that to live a simple life, wear simple dress, not expressing haughtiness is Taqwa. This is Taqwa in the science of ethics but in Quran simplicity becomes Taqwa when this secures you as well. But if others are insecure from the evils of this simple living person then this is not Taqwa. Some people consider excessive worships are Taqwa and we present examples as well that this person never abandons any prayer, night prayers, on time etc. Muttaqee is not the person who is afraid but the one who has secured his life from wraths of hereafter and evils in this world. And his society is also secure. We become religious, passionate but do not become Muttaqee as per Quran. And Quran says the foundation of Taqwa is from Adl without which Taqwa cannot be established.
Adl is the foundation pillar and it has various degrees. One Adl is taught in Usool-e-Deen whereby we are taught that Allah is Adil. Then one Adl is the cosmic creation whereby entire universe is standing on Adl which is Takwini Adl. Then comes the most important Adl which is Adl-e-Insaani. This was an argument at some point amongst scholars as to what is meant by Allah is Adil? There were two visions, one was Ashariite which means whatever Allah does would be considered as Adl. One argument was there whether goodness or evils is the trait of things or they become good or evil based on Allah’s command or prohibition? This was the vision of Asharites. The Mutazillah said this is not true; as good and evils things are absolute. Like speaking truth is good and will always remain good even if you have an order to not speak truth. To usurp an innocent is evil and even if laws permit then also it is bad. The goodness and evils are present in the essence of things. The Asharites would say there is no goodness in Adl as whatever Allah does is good. Like the example they would give is that if Allah throws righteous in Hell and oppressors in Heaven than this would be Adl of Allah. To place righteous in hell is bad and this cannot be done by Allah. The difference between the two visions is; one says whatever Allah does is evil and second vision is Allah will only do what is Adl. The Imamia align with Mutazillah which is Ahle Sunnah vision. The Infallible Imams were referred and their opinion testified the Mutazillah.
Today the theologists of beliefs in Muslims are less and more are Christians , atheists and secular people who talk more about these. They present strong arguments. The discussion of Husn, Kubb, Adl, Jabr was 1200 yrs. old but today’s atheist theologists have given other color. They have triggered this argument in this way that Allah should be also confined to Adl as it is a very important aspect. In other words they say that the biggest demand of human generation today is Adl. The old theologist would say that Allah is Wali, who will order to human beings and man has to express obedience and creation has no rights on Allah. Today’s theologist say that human beings have rights, demands which Allah should fulfill as everything is under the control of Allah. So whatever man needs today Allah should fulfill those needs. They have reversed the discussion that Allah should obey the demands of man and biggest one is Adl. Allah is Adil means he should do Adl with man.
We can form a religious society but not a Muttaqee society without Adl like Pakistan. And in Adl highest degree is Adl becoming foundation of human life. One aspect we discussed before was development of Adl (balance) in human traits within his self. But that is also the prerequisite for Social Adl. In Social Adl the first level is formation of society and its self-hood. When a society is being formed then you have to preserve Adl (balance, moderation) at this stage. To be noted that Adl, Adalah is not justice that is being generally seen in court rooms. The social Adl has various layers like body has several layers of cloth, skin, flesh, bones, etc. Like it is present in traditions that a hypocrite has seven layers. There is no society in the world whether ancient, current, west, east anyone does not have several layers. There is one outward layer and then under that various layers. When we listen to discussion about social justice they drag to the one point that the means of life should be equally distributed amongst people. This kind of justice was taken up more by socialism, communism, Marxism. If the means of life get distributed equally amongst people then the society would be Just. The society is not just made with economy but by joining various aspects. Many Muslim scholars are also impressed by communism and try to prove the same from Quran.
We have to do a Quranic analysis and see how the society is formed. If we see Muslim scholars then the most precise discussion on social Adl from Quranic perspective is done by Allama Iqbal (r.a) in his collection of “Rumooz e Bekhudi”. The others mostly have taken up communism, Marxism and have Islamized it. The foundations of economy which they have mentioned you are just giving those the color of Islam. Allama started the discussion on how a society is formed? How these different type of people form a society? The communism does not start from how society is formed and the layers. Then economy is one layer which is an important aspect of life but not every Adl is inside economy. If you want to bring Adl in economy then you have to bring Adl in other aspects of society as well.
Today if the Pakistanis are leaving the country in pursuit of safe living that is a Muttaqee society. They find one layer of security in West which is economy and they are rushing, but they close their eyes on other aspects. They witness as well that other aspects are getting destroyed. We should first at least understand the Quranic system and then the religious passion we possess if we bring inside Quran to form a Quranic society then we can establish a real Mutaddil society and the society after reappearance of Imam (a) would be this only where all the layers of society would be on the foundation of Adl and not just economy. But that system is an outcome of a gradual process and not miraculously. It is not that in a corrupt society you wake up next day it would be all Adl and Justice. This a journey of perfection of society where gradually corruption will end.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: Migrating from corrupt societies to where and for what?
وَ قَالَ عليه السلام: إِذَا اسْتَوْلَى الصَّلَاحُ عَلَى الزَّمَانِ وَ أَهْلِهِ ثُمَّ أَسَاءَ رَجُلٌ الظَّنَّ بِرَجُلٍ لَمْ تَظْهَرْ مِنْهُ حَوْبَةٌ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ وَ إِذَا اسْتَوْلَى الْفَسَادُ عَلَى الزَّمَانِ وَ أَهْلِهِ فَأَحْسَنَ رَجُلٌ الظَّنَّ بِرَجُلٍ فَقَدْ غَرَّرَ
At a time when virtue is in trend in the world and among people, if a person entertains an evil suspicion about another person from whom nothing evil has ever been seen, then he has been unjust. And at a time when vice is in trend in the world and among people, if a man entertains a good idea about another person he has flung himself in peril.
Amirul Momineen (a) has expressed a very beautiful system of society on which he has himself acted and ordered as order. Whether you like it or not we are all part of some society which could be good, bad, corrupt or righteous. Are we living in a righteous or corrupt society should be observed and witnessed by us. We should not become blind followers of media, elders, ancestors that we start to deny ourselves. The others are saying this is night and you are saying this is day. We should not deny our witnessing. Accept what you see and not just deny based on what others are saying. You should yourself know whether all the aspects of society are corrupt or reformed. Are they on their natural state or corrupted. We all agree that the society has corrupted. As per Quran the corruption is so spread that it has encompassed land and seas. In our society there is corruption in some segment more or some less. The international reports about your society (Pakistan) says the same. As per 2022 reports the biggest level of corruption in Pakistan is in police, judiciary and then education. These three are the top most corrupt institutes. The religious segment are also running in competition to other segments. When entire society is corrupted then how should you spend your life. Amirul Momineen (a) is teaching the etiquettes on how to live a life in corrupt society. Should we become part of this? We give arguments that everyone is doing. If the society is corrupt which can be witnessed, and you cannot avoid it then you should leave that , not become part of it but do not go in bigger corrupt society. The people who leave Pakistan because there is corruption and go to West or other places where there is much bigger corruption. A proverb Persian is “Jumped out of pit into well”. From a small corruption we land into higher corruption. This would not be Hijrat. I am not opposing you going to West for earning, studying, experience and you can go there. They go to Gulf and earn the most and make their lives comfortable back home. They were not able to make their children study well back home because children need parental attention. Those who go outside for the sake of earning for children, then it should not happen when you return back the wives and children are lost. You should make arrangements for children and not that your children get destroyed in drugs, has left school, became gangsters. In Punjab those who earn from Gulf their lives are better as compared to those going to West. You can even outside for observation but it should not happen that you term this as Hijrat from a corrupt society. This is not Hijrat.
I would request those who are highly capable persons should not leave the country, because the country needs your abilities. There are many things you can do in this society. There are many capable persons doing good business and giving opportunities to others. There are many who have invested money in Pakistan and given earning to the people of Pakistan. You should not go for comfort, enjoyment as there is destruction.
The first step of revolution is to be aware about corruption. The sociologists say that a revolution starts when people become frustrated from corruption, they distance, hate the corruption they make efforts to get away from this. And this has not yet happened in Pakistan. Even though corruption has spread all over , everyone discusses but people are not yet frustrated. Instead they are again trying to become part of the corruption by forming organization, groups to get into politics and parliament. They want to adjust and fit themselves. Sometime back one big party leader on TV said that corruption is being done by everyone but our party does not get share. He was from people’s party and telling his party members that in Punjab you don’t get share.
Ali (a) says that when society becomes corrupt then you should distance, corner yourself from corruption but not jump into a bigger corrupt society. The other thing he (a) says that do not trust anyone in a corrupt society. You cannot say that he is believer, coming from some reference. If someone is testified then trust, but if stranger then investigate to find whether there is corruption or not. Later do not say he has long beard. If the society becomes corrupt then do not look at mark of prostration ,beards, prayers, worships. To distance, becoming frustrated from corruption is beginning of revolution. Allah changes the state of those who want to change means distance from corruption. You can see in least 5 year how dirty things came out from these politicians. I don’t know if you remember as well. The coming elections will tell you if you trust Amirul Momineen (a) or the corrupt politicians. If you strengthen the corruption and become a part of corrupt, then you have rejected the trust on Ali, that you want to get us out of politicians, who will raise voice for us in parliament if you say not to trust corrupt politicians? If Ali (a) had to accept corruption he would not have suspended his corrupt governors. Ali does not like corruption in anyone, whether friends, followers or enemies.
