Continuity of Kashf and Divine Commissions

 

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds

Peace and blessings upon you, Apostle of Allah

The perfection and completion of the Din of Islam is essentially the making of the Shari’a of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, final and universal, and the establishment of his Umma as the last one, possessing salvific exclusivity. It does not prevent new Kushuf or revelations from God to select individuals granting them some novel or original insight that is not contrary to the principles of Islam. Nor does it discount the possibility of new divine commissions of select individuals for some good objective. Hypothetically, if a Muslim were to appear and claim that Allah has commissioned him with a task, for example, to wage war against the demons by going about the land and performing exorcisms, or that Allah has appointed him to establish a new Mosque from where he is to preach the Message of Islam, then we will not declare that an innovation, but should beckon to his call provided he sticks to the laws of the Shari’a and the methodology of the Sunna. Allah is alive, He is a living God, Who is still doing amazing things. 

کُلَّ یَوۡمٍ ہُوَ فِیۡ شَاۡنٍ

Everyday He is in His element

(Surah 55, Ayah 29)

The saga has not concluded with the Seal of Prophets Muhammad, peace be upon him, but continues to develop. The establishment of the Khilafa after the Prophet, peace be upon him, passed away, the sacred work of Tajdid of the divinely appointed Reformers, the miracles and activities of the Saints, and especially the Kushuf or visions and unveilings they experienced that were the basis for some original contribution to the Islamic narrative and understanding all demonstrate this truth.

Dismissing the zeal for Allah and the passion for religious activity beyond the basic and mandated worship is an attitude that has extinguished much light from our societies. It has facilitated excessive Westernization of our civilization, with all its associated characteristics of consumerism, sexual immorality and the inability to break down with emotion and passion before Allah in worship due to the hardness of the heart.

The diabolical process of Westernization of Muslim societies is through both ideological and sociological means. The ideological channel is through the modern education system, which indoctrinates our people to accept Western values such as secularism, liberalism, feminism, pluralism, humanism and democracy. The sociological channel is today primarily social media and the entertainment industry (music, film, television). In other words, modern universities coupled with the smartphone is the most lethal poison being gulped down by our people. The feeling of shyness in our girls has vanished, and the sense of honor in our boys is missing, so that it is quite common for both sexes of this generation to casually interact and form friendships with each other and among the youth to “hang out” with each other without an inkling of guilt. How can one expect individuals of charisma and zeal to arise from such a generation? Our numbers have never been as inflated as they are today, yet there is a parching scarcity of visionaries, shakers and movers.

I have disturbing visions of utter destruction that may soon befall segments of this Umma due to this lousy state of affairs. Nuclear holocaust in countries such as Pakistan and Iran is no longer such a far fetched improbability. But likelier is the affliction of famines leading to mass starvation. Fresh water will become rarer and a more valuable commodity than jewels. The people of the Near East are about to experience the burning thirst of some of their ancient ancestors. Already the whole Gaza Strip has been reduced to a pile of rubble, yet the Arabs do not change their ways!

But if there is a ray of hope today then it is in Afghanistan. More than anyone else they have fiercely resisted secularity and modernity. It is from that land a multitude of saints and mystics came out of, venturing into India, and attracting millions of Hindu converts to Islam through their holiness and charisma. And I foresee that once again, in the near future, some great men shall arise out of that nation and preach the Message of Islam with fire and brimstone.