Currently, there are three major religions in the world which are famous, which have a spiritual and religious background; at the same time, they have a political aspect also. Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all monotheistic religions and they are all under the umbrella of the Father of Prophets, Abraham.
The State of Religion Today
Right now, the world, there are millions of Christians and millions of Muslims; even the Jews are in the millions and their religion was fantastic. However, the world is not at rest. We do not see any impact of those religions on humanity today. We talk about the Torah, Bible and Quran. People are serving God, praying to God and worshiping God in synagogues, churches and mosques all over the world. However, the purity in hearts of people is a big question mark today.
The hatred they carry with them against each other is still to diminish. Their religiosity, servitude to God and the knowledge they have about their religions, somehow or other is not helping them get rid of this hatred.
Obviously, a Jew will speak very highly of his religion. A Christian will definitely speak very highly of his religion. Then you have Muslims who will speak highly of their religion. The problem is: if everybody’s religion is the best religion, then why is it that the people who follow that religion are not the best people?
If I say, ‘I have the best car in the world,’ and others who have lower quality cars are going faster than I am and even with the best car I cannot compete with them, then I will have to reconsider my claim.
According to the Quran, Muslims are the best nation on Earth. This is where the confusion pollutes minds. The question is: are all Muslims best, or which specific Muslims are the best of all? Are we the same type of Muslims as the early Companions of the Prophets were, whose religiosity and servitude to God were pure, who were in the blissful and blessed company of the Beloved of God, who spent days and nights sitting in the presence of the Beloved of God? How can I claim to have the same quality of faith as those had who were in the presence of Prophet Mohammad?
Then, Muslims only remember that Quran declares them as the best of all nations; however, they ignore what else was said by the Prophet. For example, he said, ‘One who lies is not from my nation.’ Then Prophet Mohammad said, ‘One who promotes racism is not from my nation.’ He declared, ‘One who praises somebody for false is not from my nation.’ He also said, ‘If you are a Muslim and your neighbour goes to sleep without food, I will not take you as a Muslim.’
So the problem is, the religion and its practice, unfortunately has been confined to the books. We do not see the best of the religions in practice today.
There is one narrative from God in the Holy Quran which states, ‘In the beginning, you were all progeny of one Adam. Then I divided you into many tribes and nations for the sake of recognition.’ So, he sent prophets like Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad. 124 000 prophets were sent into this world in order to guide people towards God. Different people were given to keep company of different prophets.
Those who belonged to a prophet formed a nation. There were the nations of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad. They were introduced with division, however the source was the same. The messages given to Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad came from the same source, the same God.
In different languages, countries and nations, you call upon God with different names; however that supreme being who sent Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammad – and all other messengers and prophets – is the same. Even the Sikh community in India believe in one God. When they say, ‘Ek Onkar’, it means ‘One God.’ There is not another God; there is only one God.
For example, a Canadian citizen lives in Canada; a British citizen lives in England and those who live in the USA are American citizens. The fact that they are citizens of different countries does not make a rift between them or invite them to fight each other.
In a similar way, a Jew reaches God through Abraham. A Christian will reach God through Jesus, and a Muslim will reach God through Mohammad. The destination is the same. Then why are these people killing and hating each other?
The Universal Brotherhood is on the top of God’s agenda. This is how the world will come towards it culmination towards the end. All will be united under the umbrella of God’s love. All will love God. All will become truthful devouts, upon principles of God’s love.
There is a verse in the Holy Quran which says, ‘When all these people who follow different religions deviate themselves from these religions and shun the religions, God will send down on Earth his nation. They will love God and God will love them.’ This is a clear cut instruction about the end times.
Towards the end times, the only religion which will be established will be the religion of God’s love.
Prophets and messengers have done their best. We live in an era where we do not have any prophet or messenger guiding us. All we get to know about these prophets and messengers is through the books. The books have become so untrustworthy; the words written there might have been adulterated, altered or opinionated. There are 50 000 different version of the Bible. It is God’s word, but people adulterated, modified and altered not just the interpretation, but the original text too. The human mind is full of corruption.
When a human mind and heart are corrupt, the religions suffer.
Today we have Jews, but we do not have good jews. We have Christians, but we do not have good Christians. We have Muslims but we do not have good Muslims. It is very unfortunate. When the bad Jews, Muslims and Christians do bad things, people do not say, ‘These Jews, Christians and Muslims are bad,’ they say, ‘Their religion is bad.’ How can they be bad when they were introduced by God through a prophet?
People over 60 start to have problems with their internal organs. The kidneys may not be working properly, the liver may have problems or the heart might struggle; we understand that this is because of age. As you grow older, the organs in the body are also getting used up every day. There is not too much you can do about it medically, because there is wear and tear. They are getting used up.
Everything is getting used up, even the Sun. The Sun is the ultimate source of hydrogen, and it has been covered by the ozone layer. Now, a lot of hydrogen is being released through rifts in the ozone layer. Due to this, people are beginning to have problems such skin diseases and sunburn. We’re told to wear sunglasses and a cap to protect against the UV rays while we are in Canada, because the Sun rays come directly to the eyes.
We’re running short of water. If you go to the washroom in any 5-star hotel, they say, ‘Please do not use water generously. Save water.’ There is global warming. Icebergs in the North Pole are melting, as a result of which oceans all over the world are soaring up. There is more torrential rain, more storms and more trouble. So everything is getting used up.
Similarly, when you grow old, your internal organs also grow old. If you die at 80-90, it makes sense because you’ve been using your heart for 85 years. There is no servicing. You don’t change your oil filter or air filter of your heart like you would a car. After every 10 000 miles, you take your car for servicing; but you don’t take your heart for servicing.
It is understandable if somebody who is 80-85 years of age dies of a heart attack, kidney failure or liver failure. However, sometimes, we see that people who are 20-25 years of age die of a heart attack. That is a problem. The body is young but inside the body, the organs have failed.
So it is not the body that the life rests; it is the internal organs which keep the body moving.
Similarly, the body of every religion is so beautiful still, but the internal organs of the religion – which is spirituality – has failed.
Spirituality was part of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Islam, it was known as Sufism, the knowledge of the heart.
Prophet Mohammad addresses the entire humanity in a particular Tradition of the Prophet. He calls upon all human beings, ‘O’ humanity, there is a piece of flesh in your body: if that is right, your entire body is right. If that piece of flesh in your body is corrupted, your entire body is corrupted. Remember well: this is your heart.’
Enlightening, reviving and awakening the heart is the art of Sufism. This is the gist of the Bible, the Quran, Talmud and Torah.
‘Whosoever believes in God, God guides his heart.’ – the Quran.
People have forgotten why they practise a religion. When you marry, you do so for many reason: for pleasure, offspring, progeny, a life partner, etc. If you marry a woman and you don’t see her and she doesn’t see you, what is the use of that marriage?
Today, people do not know why they’re Christians, Jews or Muslims. If you ask a Jew, ‘Have you seen God?’ They will say, ‘What are you talking about?’ If you ask a Christian, ‘Have you seen God,’ they will say, ‘No. Why should I?’ If you ask a Muslim, ‘Have you seen God,’ they will say ‘It is not in the Prophetic Traditions.’ People don’t know why they follow a religion. The most they know is that they follow their religion so that when they die, God sends them into paradise.
The recent wave of terrorism is coming from an Islamic faction, Wahhabism. What they are hammering into the brains of young people is that if they blow themselves up and kill many other people along with, that will be the most favourable act in the eyes of God. They say, ‘The moment you blow yourself up, you will enter into paradise, and there will be 70 young and beautiful female damsels of the paradise waiting for you.’ This is how people are lured into these things.
Only those are being trapped into this kind of hateful ideology who do not have knowledge of Islam or the Quran. Suicide is prohibited in Islam. Throwing away your life is not allowed by God. You cannot do that, but this is happening. Some people say this is because of hatred; I say, ‘No, this is not because of hatred; this is because of lust and desires.’
The primary objective with which you follow a religion is to connect to God.
You should be able to hear God and God should be able to hear you. However now, whether in the case of Christian people or in case of Muslims, the wrong interpretation of the divine book has played havoc. It has destroyed their ability to understand the true meaning of God’s word.
The Quran 3:38 says, ‘O’ Lord, you listen to our prayers.’ What does it mean? People think God has the divine calibre to see and hear everything. That is true. God has the power to do anything, but at the same time, there is a system manufactured by God. God said that he does not look at your faces, actions and deeds; he looks at your hearts and intentions thereabout.
There is a system in which you say things with a different tongue and only then, God is able to hear you. We have a body and we have a soul. Our reality is not our body; our reality is our soul.
It is the soul that God created. The body was not created by God; it was formed in the womb of your mother. God will hear your voice if your soul is able to speak.
If I ask you, ‘Were you able to speak before you were born in this world or will you be able to speak after your death?’ You’ll say, ‘Yes, you could speak before you were born and you will be able to speak after you die.’
However, after your death, you will speak not through your body but with your soul. God is ethereal. He is the creator of your soul. You have to revive your soul. When your soul is revived and awakened, then God will hear your soul and your heart.
The lack of spiritual knowledge has misled people all over the world.
We’re trying to raise awareness of spiritual knowledge. Some people who are short-sighted and who lack knowledge think that I am against Islam or Christianity. However, I’m not against Christianity, Judaism or Islam. I respect all religions because they come from God.
When foods are adulterated, your stomach will suffer. When religions are adulterated, your heart will suffer.
God’s Love: Superior to All Religions
The Universal Brotherhood is our aim, that all are bound by the rope of God’s love. All all united under the umbrella of God’s love. This is what we are aiming for.
Lord Ra Riaz Gohar Shahi invited all humanity to become unified with the bond of God’s love. His approach and his message is so universal. It is not limited by any religion, creed or book; it is purely divine.
I give you one of the messages of Lord Ra Riaz Gohar Shahi about spiritual revolution.
He said, ‘In order to reach God and recognise God, learn spirituality no matter what religion you practise.’
Spirituality is for all. All those who want to love God are invited, whether they follow Islam, Christianity, Judaism or any other religion. Those also are invited who do not follow any religion but they want to love God.
Lord Ra Riaz Gohar Shahi said, ‘The best human being among all is one who has God’s love in his heart even if he does not practise any religion. God’s love is superior to all religions.’
Let me give an example from the time of Prophet Mohammad. A time came when the Prophet Mohammad told his Companions, ‘You cannot drink alcohol anymore, it is being prohibited by God. Islam does not allow consumption of alcohol.’ A Companion of the Prophet was found drinking alcohol, so the other Companions caught him, punished him and then released him. After a few days, he was caught drinking again; they punished him and then released him. For the third time when he was caught drinking alcohol, the other Companions got angry and were cursing him. Prophet Mohammad was inside his room; he heard it. He came out and said, ‘Do not curse him even if he drinks alcohol, because he loves God.’
Now you can see that God’s love is superior to religion. According to religion, he was bad, but Prophet Mohammad said, ‘Do not curse him because he loves God.’
How did he obtain God’s love? This is very interesting. Religious people go to the mosque five times a day, fast during the month of fasting and they carry out all the instructions of the religion. Religious people do all sorts of worship and rituals and they observe all the prohibitions of the religion. However, this particular man was not very good in the religion.
What he did was that he used to come and sit with the Prophet every day. There used to be many problems at that time. There were many enemies of the Prophet and of the Companions of the Prophet. People were trying to attack on Islam. They wanted to destroy Islam. When Prophet Mohammad would hear about those problems, he would become sad. This man would approach the Prophet and tell the Prophet a joke. The Prophet would laugh and forget about the problem. He used to do it every day. By doing this, he became so dear to the Prophet and this is how he obtained God’s love. He didn’t do anything.
There are two different ways of God’s love. One way is that there is a group of people who want to love God. They try to please God. When God is pleased, then God grants them his love. Then there is another group of people: they are those whom God loves. They don’t have to make any efforts.
So there are people who want to love God and then those who are loved by God.
There was a Sufi called Ibrahim bin Adham. One night, he was sitting alone and he saw an angel who was writing. So Ibrahim asked the angel, ‘What are you doing?’ The angel said, ‘I am writing the names of people who love God.’ He asked him, ‘Is my name there on the list?’ The angel looked at the list and said, ‘No, your name is not here.’ He became really sad. The next night, the angel came back again; this time, the Sufi was so sad that he was not bothered by the presence of the angel. He didn’t ask because his heart was put off.
When the next night the angel came, he was writing on a piece of paper. The angel asked him, ‘Are you not going to ask me tonight what am I doing?’ He said, ‘Does it really matter?’ The angel replied, ‘Well, ask me.’ He then said, ‘What are you doing?’ The angel said, ‘I am writing the names of people that God loves.’ He asked, ‘Is my name there?’ The angel said, ‘It is on top of the list.’
So in the Universal Brotherhood, there will be two different types of people. There will be the people who love God. They will have to make a lot of efforts to please God and obtain his love. Those who are loved by God don’t have to make efforts.
While you are serving this mission, you will see some people who come and join and will make a lot of efforts; they will be those who want to love God. Then you will see some other people who are so good, but they don’t make efforts; maybe they are those who are loved by God. This mission is for both.