This Friday our Imam started his talk with the following verse:
14.24 . Seest thou not how Allah coineth a similitude : A goodly saying , as a goodly tree , its root set firm , its branches reaching into heaven , 14.25 . Giving its fruit at every season by permission of its Lord? Allah coineth the similitudes for mankind in order that they may reflect .
We are all blessed with the knowledge of Islam. Most of us were born into this religion, while others had struggled to find the truth. Either way, we all have to realize the great gift and responsibility we have as Muslims. The greatest gift we have is the Shahadah of LA ILAHA ILA ALLAH.
To emphasize the importance of this statement, there is a story of Musa ASWS who asked Allah SWT for a dhikr. So Allah SWT givs him the Shahadah. Musa ASWS then asked for something more, or something bigger. Allah SWT response was along the lines of, that if the seven heavens and 7 earths were on one side of the scale and the Shahadah was on the other side, the Shahadah would be heavier.
This is the blessing that we are given. These few words carry so much importance. When you break it down, it is a declaration that there is "No deity worthy of worship except Allah". We have to believe statement sincerely with all of our heart and with every action that we make.
We must take into consideration that even the Quraish believed in the existence of Allah SWT. The Mushrikoon who lived in the times of ignorance and Jahiliyah would call out to Allah SWT help in times of distress.
31.32 . And if a wave enshroudeth them like awnings , they cry unto Allah , making their faith pure for Him only . But when He bringeth them safe to land , come of them compromise . None denieth Our signs save every traitor ingrate .
This was th state of Jahili Arabs at the time. They would turn to the one, true God ini the times of need, and then abondon Him at all other times. We have to think about this verse, and reflect about our own actions. How often do we turn to Allah SWT when we are in desperate need? And how many times does he grant our wishes and when things are going well for us, and we have no real fear or problems, do we turn to our Lord in gratitude?
So in our quest to attain greater closeness to Allah SWT, we need to perform Ibaadah to strengthen our Iman. Ibn Khatheer defines worship, or Ibabada as "a state which combines the perfection of love, submission and fear". Other scholars break Ibaadah down into three pillars of love, fear and hope. We need to constantly find a balance in these three emotions that we show to Allah SWT. We need to show love to Allah SWT and love His creation. We need to love the Prophet's and the angels, and our fellow Muslims and anything else that reminds us of Allah SWT. We cannont let any other love supercede or interfre with our love for our Creator. The next attribute is fear. We need to fear displeasing Allah SWT and the punishments that He can give us. If we are scared of a dog or an insect or any other natural fear, that is okay, but we cannot have a supernatural fear for anything but Allah SWT:
33.39 . Who delivered the messages of Allah and feared Him , and feared none save Allah . Allah keepeth good account .
The third pillar of Ibaadah is hope. We need to be in constant rememberance that Allah SWT is the most forgiving, the most loving. H is Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim, and has so many other beautiful names that articulat that he will protect us. We need to have hope and trust that Allah SWT will shower us with blessings and will save us from the hellfire and put us in Janahtul Firdous. Allah SWT relates in the Quran about the successful by saying:
2.218 . Lo! those who believe , and those who emigrate ( to escape the persecution ) and strive in the way of Allah , these have hope of Allah ' s mercy . Allah is Forgiving , Merciful .
In opposition to Ibaadah there is Shirk which is worshiping other than Allah SWT:
2.22 . Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you , and the sky a canopy ; and causeth water to pour down from the sky , thereby producing fruits as food for you . And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know ( better ) .
Shirk is the only unforgivable sin in the sight of Allah SWT. Everything else you do, with sincere repentance can be forgiven. Even if you commit a major sin like murder, gambling, drinking alcohol or taking interest or Riba, Allah SWT will forgive you as long as you know that is wrong. But you cannot seek redemption after the sin of Shirk. Shirk prohibits a person from entering Paradise and obligates a permanent abode in Hell.
Shirk is so evil that it destroys all of a person's good deeds:
39.65 . And verily it hath been revealed unto thee as unto those before thee ( saying ) : If thou ascribe a partner to Allah thy work will fail and thou indeed wilt be among the losers .
The prophet SAAWS, the most perfect and greatest of creation, would be a loser if he engaged in Shirk. So we have to be very careful and learn as much about this deceptive trap as possible. Shirk can be split into three different categories. There is Shirk in Ruboobiyyah, the Lordship of Allah SWT. If we deny Allah SWT as th sole creator of everything or his perfection in existence, then we are commiting Shirk. This is perhaps the most apparent Shirk to us. There is also Shirk in Asmaa Wa As-Sifat, or in the names and attributes of Allah SWT. If we give attributes of Allah SWT to a human being, or give Allah SWT the limited attributes of a person, we may fall into this realm of Shirk. And last, we could fall into Shirk of Uloohiyyah. This concerns the workship of Allah SWT. If we do not give all praise and thanks to Him then we need to think about what it truly means to be a Muslim.
Those are the basics of our religion and should not be taken lightly. In order to increase our certainty, to dray closer to Allah SWT and away from Shirk, we can take certain actions. Have Tawwakul of full trust in Allah SWT. Keep patient and know that if you fall under any hardship, that it is Allah SWT divine plan. Constantly remember Allah SWT and do du'a. Ask Him for anything and everything your heart desires. From the smallest worldly item to true love for Him. Always keep him in mind. And perform actions like the prophet SAAWS. Be courteous to one another. Respect your elders, be kind to those younger than you. Greet one another with a smil and warmth. The list goes on and on, but attaining Jannah, escaping hell, and earning the pleasure of Allah SWT is not an easy task. It is one that we must constantly strive to and struglle with.
If I said anything wrong, it comes from me. If I said anthing correctly, it comes from Allah SWT.
Our Imam, the one with the beautiful beard, talked about steadfastness and he started his sermon with the following verse:
2.177 . It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West ; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the Prophets ; and giveth his wealth , for love of Him , to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask , and to set slaves free ; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor due . And those who keep their treaty when they make one , and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress . Such are they who are sincere . Such are the God fearing .
Staying steadfastness on one’s religion no matter what happens. Even in difficulty and hardship. The true test of a believer is that he remains firm on his imman, upon his obedience to Allah SWT, upon his good deeds. This is the real test. To start some thing is very easy, but to continue with that thing and to take it to its end, that is very testing, and that’s when a person’s true worth comes out. Otherwise it is very easy to start something. Hence Allah says: “and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress . Such are they who are sincere . Such are the God fearing.”
A very beautiful verse. Allah SWT mentions so many different things, but if we understand why Allah SWT mentions each of these things, we will realize the significance and importance of every one of these deeds.
Allah SWT warns us that do not think that religion, piety are all just about salah, praying morning and evening. Because unfortunately that’s what many Muslims think. We think that the whole of religion is just about praying salah, paying Zakah, and going for pilgrimage. We think that as long as we face the qibla and pray salah, it’s ok. How we eat, how we drink, how we behave, how we treat others, whether we observe the rights of others, it doesn’t matter. Allah SWT says “It is not righteousness that you face the East and the West”…that doesn’t mean anything. Facing in a particular direction when a person commits so many sins is no piety in the book of Allah SWT.
Then Allah SWT enumerates a whole series of things that make a person pious.
Piety is that “one should believe in Allah and the final day and the angels and the Book and the prophets” of course one’s aqeedah has to be correct before good deeds are accepted.
Then “and give away wealth out of love for Him to the relatives and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for (the emancipation of) the captives, and keep up prayer and pay the zakah;”
BEFORE salah, which is an obligation to Allah SWT and zakah, Allah SWT speaks of a person’s obligation towards his fellow human beings. That he gives charity, sadaqah to who?... first to his relatives…even before beggars, masjid, madrassa, or freeing slaves...
Piety is also “when they make a promise they abound by their promise, they fulfil their pledges”.
In short, a person’s piety are marked not just by facing the east or the west, but by all these qualities. And especially at the time of affliction a person proves to be pious when he remains patient and steadfast upon his religion. That is a true test of a believer. To start something is very easy. We have a habit of doing that. Any new thing is attractive and appealing to human nature, and that includes religion. An example is college courses, martial arts…everyone is very eager to start..go for a few lessons…people do the same with deen. Ask anyone who has studied in a field, and gone on to continue studying till their old age, even in these small things steadfastness is required, then how can we treat the deen of Allah so lightly. Steadfastness is required in deen….it is very easy to start something but can you finish it? this is the difference between true believers and weak believers.
At the time of the Prophet SAWS, there were some people who embraced Islam because they thought it was easy, but left it after a short while. Allah SWT has already foretold us and warned us in the Quran :
29.2 . Do men imagine that they will be left ( at ease ) because they say , We believe , and will not be tested with affliction?
The hadith of the prophet SAAWS says: “Know that the products of Allah are expensive.” And what are the products of Allah SWT?…Jannah. Paradise is expensive, only those who deserve it will get it:
2.214 . Or think ye that ye will enter Paradise while yet there hath not come unto you the like of ( that which came to ) those who passed away before you? Affliction and adversity befell them , they were shaken as with earthquake , till the messenger ( of Allah ) and those who believed along with him said : When cometh Allah ' s help? Now surely Allah ' s help is nigh .
This means that Allah SWT will test us in every way. And we are all tested in different ways. Allah SWT will test the Ummah at large, collectively, And test us individually:
2.155 . And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger , and loss of wealth and lives and crops ; but give glad tidings to the steadfast ,
The true test of a believer is in hardship and difficultly, and unfortunately this is where many of us fail. In the Quran Allah SWT has described the weakness of the believer in different ways. One weakness is that we fluctuate in our Imaan, in our commitment to Allah SWT. Some people, as long as they are happy, they worship Allah SWT. The moment they are struck by something, they disappear and turn away from Allah SWT. There are others who worship Allah SWT only at the time of need. The moment their need is fulfilled and they are relieved of their suffering, they turn away from Allah SWT:
22.11 . And among mankind is he who worshippeth Allah upon a narrow marge so that if good befalleth him he is content therewith , but if a trial befalleth him , he falleth away utterly . He loseth both the world and the Hereafter . That is the sheer loss .
And there are others who do the opposite. As long as they are happy, they turn away from Allah SWT, and only at times of affliction, they turn to Allah SWT:
17.83 . And when We make life pleasant unto man , he turneth away and is averse ; and when ill toucheth him he is in despair .
10.12 . And if misfortune touch a man he crieth unto Us , ( while reclining ) on his side , or sitting or standing , but when We have relieved him of the misfortune he goeth his way as though he had not cried unto Us because of a misfortune that afflicted him . Thus is what they do made ( seeming ) fair unto the prodigal .
May Allah SWT grant us steadfastness…..
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2006 07:08 by mdlazreg.
After a long vacation where I did not have access to the internet [thanks God], here are the sermons I missed: [some of them will be very short because I could not get a copy from the Imam so it is all up to my defectuous memory].
Our Imam talked about DU'A. Or this amazing way of talking directly with Allah SWT... We as Muslims are blessed by Allah SWT because we are allowed to talk with Him directly!!!. Actually Allah SWT wants us to talk with Him, to call on Him and Him alone:
10.106 . And cry not , beside Allah , unto that which cannot profit thee nor hurt thee , for if thou didst so then wert thou of the wrong-doers .
One of the unique characteristics of Islam is that there is a direct connection with Allah SWT. Allah SWT is Al-Basseer, the All-seer. He sees everything we do. He is Al-Alim, the All-knowing. He knows exactly what we think at all times. He is Al-samee3, the All-hearer. He is in constant communication with us.
Every Muslim has to understand that at any given moment, any where, there is a direct communication betwen him and Allah SWT!. This channel of communication can be used for DU'A.
DU'A is a noble, spiritual calling to Allah SWT. DU'A literally means to call out or to cry. In the Quran it means to implore or seek aide. DU'A is the essence of worship because by doing so we acknowledge His existence and His supreme power over everything.
By calling on Allah SWT alone and no one else we are making sure we are not commiting Shirk which is the biggest sin in Islam:
22.73 . O mankind! A similitude is coined , so pay ye heed to it : Lo! those on whom ye call beside Allah will never create a fly though they combine together for the purpose . And if the fly took something from them , they could not rescue it from him . So weak are ( both ) the seeker and the sought!
Another amazing thig about making DU'A is the following hadith of the prophet SAAWS:
"There is no Muslim of the face of the earth that asks Allah for anything except that Allah gives it to him, or averts from him a similar evil, as long as he does not ask for something evil or for breaking th ties of kinship"
This means that calling on Allah SWT is a win-win situation. Either you are granted what you want or some evil is averted from you!
There are some rules to making DU'A which need to be followed whenever we enter in communication with Allah SWT:
1) Sincerity
2) Repentance from all sins.
3) Humility
7.55 . O mankind! ) Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret . Lo! He loveth not aggressors .
4) Urgency
This can be done by repeating the same dua two or three times.
5) Making DU'A at times of ease.
The prophet SAAWS said :
"Remember Allah SWT during the times of ease and He will remember you during times of hardship"
6) Use the beautiful names of Allah SWT.
7.180 . Allah ' s are the fairest names . Invoke Him by them . And leave the company of those who blaspheme His names . They will be requited what they do .
InshaAllah every Muslim will use his gift of direct connection to Allah SWT to implore Him for his best and for the best of his brothers and sisters.
Our Imam talked about the need of sacrifice in a Muslim life. In fact the only thing guaranteed in life is death. If we are all sure that one day or another, today or tomorrow, this year or next year, or maybe after some years we know we will end up dust. Returning to earth as we were created from it the very first time:
20.55 From the (earth) did We create you, and into it shall We return you, and from it shall We bring you out once again.
If death is coming for sure and if as Muslims we repeat in our prayers that : Ya Allah, You are the Truth and Your promise is true, and Your words are true, and the meeting with you is true and the Paradise is true and Hell is true and Hour is true... If that is the case then things are really serious and we have to start NOW thinking about what we have prepared for that fatidic moment. We have to sacrifice this life for the sake of the next life because this life is very short [Where is your grand grand father?] and the next life is eternal forever. Allah talks about this life in the following terms :
17:18 If any do wish for the transitory things (of this life), We readily grant them - such things as We will, to such person as We will: in the end have We provided Hell for them: they will burn therein, disgraced and rejected.
75:20 Nay, (ye men!) but ye love the fleeting life,
76:27 As to these, they love the fleeting life, and put away behind them a Day (that will be) hard.
Our entire life as Muslims is a sacrifice by the standards of the socities in which we live. All the true people of God, from the beginning of humanity, to ourselves, to those who will come after us, they al have made or will make sacrifices. Islam by itself is a path of struggle. Islam IS NOT a mere statement of faith, Islam is a complete orientation of life and thought. It is 180 shift, it is a way of life whose reward is Janah.
Sacrifice is needed because there are many difficulties in the path of a Muslim. Those difficulties are there for a reason. As Muslims we are being tested for our faith, because every reward comes at a price and every diploma comes after an exam:
2.214 . Or think ye that ye will enter Paradise while yet there hath not come unto you the like of ( that which came to ) those who passed away before you? Affliction and adversity befell them , they were shaken as with earthquake , till the messenger ( of Allah ) and those who believed along with him said : When cometh Allah ' s help? Now surely Allah ' s help is nigh .
We have to sacrifice our temper, our egos, our insincere intentions, our time and our money for the sake of working together to establish Allah's glory. Be brothers and sisters, forget the hatred, forget the anger, be one communoty of love and respect, work together and know that your goal is a very high one, it is not in this life, it is in the next.
We can give something we love for the sake of something we love more. We do love money but we love Allah SWT more so let's sacrifice our money and the likes for Allah SWT.
Read the prophet Mohamed SAAWS life and see how many sacrifices He did for you to be a Muslim. Your gift of being a Muslim is a direct result of the sacrifices of Mohamed SAAWS. It is your turn to make sacrifices for the betterment of humanity, your society, your family, your religion and your life, specialy the next one.
This Friday the Imam spoke about Al-Nafss, the soul. This is a mosque in Paris in my way to me beloved Morocco.
The Imam said that for Muslims Al-Nafss is a very interesting concept because it is truly what makes a person. Our bodies, our looks are not that important. Actually in one of the prophet Mohamed SAAWS hadiths He says: Allah SWT sees into your hearts not your bodies. And Allah SWT makes it very clear in the Quran that the only distinction between humain beings is their obedience towards Allah SWT and nothing else:
49:13 O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
Allah SWT makes it very clear that racism simply does not exit in Islam. All humans are equal, their souls is the only thing that distinguishes between them. The question is how?
The Imam said that the soul of a humain being can be in a combination of THREE states:
1) Al-Nafss Al-Amara bi-Assou2:
This is the soul which guides the person to evil doings. The person who has such a soul is attracted towards bad deeds. A reference to this in the Quran is the story of Youssef ASWS when he was tempted by the wife of the king of Egypt. When she realised her mistake and asked for forgivenes she said:
12:51 (The king) said (to the ladies): "What was your affair when ye did seek to seduce Joseph from his (true) self?" The ladies said: "Allah preserve us! no evil know we against him!" Said the 'Aziz's wife: "Now is the truth manifest (to all): it was I who sought to seduce him from his (true) self: He is indeed of those who are (ever) true (and virtuous). 12:52 "This (say I), in order that He may know that I have never been false to him in his absence, and that Allah will never guide the snare of the false ones. 12:53 "Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy: but surely my Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful."
The human soul is certainly prone to evil. That is the part in our human nature that we need to make sure is under control.
The other kind of soul is the following:
2) Al-Nafss Al-Lawama:
This is the part in our nature that gives us regrets when we do bad deeds, it is the soul that punishes us by feeling guilty after a wrong doing. Its existence is very important because it is the door to repentance... It is so important that Allah SWT swore by it:
75.1 . Nay , I swear by the Day of Resurrection ; 75.2 . Nay , I swear by the accusing soul ( that this Scripture is true ) . 75.3 . Thinketh man that We shall not assemble his bones? 75.4 . Yea , verily . Yea , We are able to restore his very fingers!
Everyone of us has the accusing soul all thanks to God. We have to use it against the Al-Nafss Al-Amara bi Al-sou2 to balance each other...
The third state is the following:
3) Al-Nafss Al-Motma2inat:
This is a state of soul very hard to reach but it is a wonderful state where the human being is in full balance with the Creator, with the creatures, with nature, with himself, with life and with family, where the person is so calm inside himself. It is a state of serenity where the heart is clean, the brain is pure, the body is clean and the human being feels good about himself, about life, about what he has, about what he has not. He feels the presence of Allah SWT in his life, he is in a state of I7ssan described by the prophet SAAWS in His famous hadith about Islam/Iman and I7ssan.
This state is described in the following verse:
89.27 . But ah! thou soul at peace! 89.28 . Return unto thy Lord , content in His good pleasure! 89.29 . Enter thou among My bondmen! 89.30 . Enter thou My Garden!
This Friday, in Oujda/ Morocco, our Imam talked about the dangers of drugs. Of course everyone knows the consequences of drugs consumption. The Imam emphasized the fact that it is against our religion and this is enough reason to stop smoking, stop taking drugs because our bodies do not belong to us, it is a gift from Allah SWT and hence we need to respect it, nourish it and take care of it.
In the day of judgement our body will be a witness against us! so better treat it well in this life:
24:24 On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions.
This Friday our Imam talked about a wonderful miracle of the prophet Mohamed SAAWS, the miracle of Isra and Miraj which happened on the 27th of Rajab.
This miracle which is actually two miracles is first the Isra described here :
17.1 . Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far Distant Place of Worship the neighborhood whereof We have blessed , that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He , only He , is the Nearer , the Seer .
In one night the prophet Mohamed SAAWS travelled from Makkah to Al-9odss... A journey that would take a month at His time. Of course this is nothing in the sight of the power of God.
When He came back and told the unbelievers of Makkah, they made fun of Him and went to Abu Bakr RAA to tell him about what Mohamed SAAWS was saying hoping he will join them in ridiculing the prophet SAAWS. Abu Bakr RAA said, I believe that an angle comes from heavens, sent by God, and talk with Him so why I can not believe Him now... For that reason Abu Bakr is known as As-Sedi9 [The truthful].
The prophet SAAWS prayed in the mosque Al-A9ssa as an Imam with the prophets. [What a sight! to see all the prophets praying together (Mose ASWS, Jesus ASWS, Ibrahim ASWS...)]
And if the Isra was not enough, the prophet SAAWS went also on a Miraj by ascending to heavens! and where He talked with Allah SWT directly in words that we repeat every day 5 times in our prayers as Muslims! in fact Allah SWT greeted the prophet SAAWS in the following words:
Assalamu 3alayka Ayoha Anabiyo Wa rahmato Allah ta3ala wa barakatoho. [Peace be upon you o prophet and Allah's Mercy and His Blessings.]
to which the prophet SAAWS repeated :
Assalamu 3alayna wa 3ala 3ibadi Allah As-salihine. [Peace be upon us and upon the good servants of Allah SWT]
This is part of what we say each time we do Al-Tachahod in our prayers...
It is in fact at this time that Allah SWT gave His order to the Muslims to pray 50 times a day! yes 50 times... Because remember that the only reason we were created for is to worship Allah SWT:
51:56 I have only created Jinns and men, that they may worship Me.
The prophet SAAWS after talking with Mose ASWS asked Allah SWT to reduce it to 5 a day knowing that as humain beings we will find 50 prayers too much [more than 2 each hour in 24 hours] to only 5 hours [only 1 in about 5 hours!] and yet some find it hard to pray the 5 prayers or worse do not pray!!!
The fact that prayer is the only obligation on Muslims that was declared on heavens is an indication to its importance. It is no concidence it is the first question in the day of judgement.
This Friday I prayed in Paris in my way back from my beloved Morocco. Since it was the 1st of Cha3ban the Imam talked about how important it is to fast in this month.
In fact the prophet SAAWS used to fast a lot but in this month he fasted so much that His compagnions would say He will fast all of it... But actually the prophet SAAWS never faster all of Cha3ban. The only month to be fasted in its entirety is Ramadan.
When the prophet SAAWS was asked why does He fast so much during this month, He replied that it was in this month that the deeds of a person are ascended to heaven to Allah SWT and that He would love to be in a state of fasting at that moment...
So fast as much as you can in this month but not all of it. It is a great preparation for the great month of Ramadan which is so close for the lucky of us inshaAllah.
This sermon was given by an africain brother. I think he is from Senegal. He is a professor of Africains studies.
The Imam started his sermon by the following verse:
11:3 "(And to preach thus), 'Seek ye the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance; that He may grant you enjoyment, good (and true), for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding grace on all who abound in merit! But if ye turn away, then I fear for you the penalty of a great day:
This verse teachs us that we should seek the forgiveness of Allah SWT and turn to Him in repentance that He may grant us in this life an excellent enjoyment for a term appointed and bestow to all who have merit His abundant grace in the after life.
The verse also says that If we turn away then I fear for you the punishment of a great day.
If we reflect on this verse we will see that the two attitudes described here define us as humans:
1)Turning away, being forgetful of our Lord.
2)Turning back to our Lord in repentence.
What takes us from number 1) to number 2) is ISTIGHFAR.
ISTIGHFAR or asking for forgiveness is what define us as IBAD AL-RAHMAN, the servants of the most merciful.
The two attitudes define us as HUMANS. The second attitude define us as IBAD-AL-RAHMAN.
The fact that we are humans means that we do commit the sin of number 1), but as Muslims we strive to reach number 2). There is a hadith of the prophet SAAWS where He says:
By Him in whose hands my life is, if you were not to commit sin Allah SWT would have wiped you out of existence and He would have replaced you by people who commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah SWT, so that He forgives them.
This Hadith is an amazing hadith because it defines us as humans, it defines our nature on how we were created and for what purpose, then it shows us the path to become IBAD-AL-RAHMAN instead of being only humans.
Allah SWT has endowed us, along with the Jinns, with free will, but this free will leads us to commit sin and to forget. That is exactly what happened to Adam ASWS, He forgot.
The fact that He forgot is a consequence of his free will and his human nature but to transcend this human nature and get elevated to the status of Ibad Al-Rahman, Allah SWT has teached Adam ASWS how to seek forgiveness:
2:37 Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.
In other words, humans are so weak and so ignorant that even when we commit mistakes we have to be THAUGHT how to ask for forgiveness. Allah SWT gives us the gift of free will and also gives us the gift on how to ask His forgiveness in case we use our free will to against His will. This clearly shows how dependent on Allah SWT we are as He says in :
35:15 O ye men! It is ye that have need of Allah: but Allah is the One Free of all wants, worthy of all praise.
This amazing deal from Allah SWT is like a waiter inviting you to his restaurant to eat and at the same giving you money to buy his food...
Allah SWT asks us to ask for forgiveness after commiting a sin by first showing us how to ask for forgiveness, second not punishing us for commiting the sin and third rewarding us for asking for forgiveness!!! that is how great is Allah SWT.
Allah SWT will never turn a person who sincerly asks for forgiveness. For example when Adam ASWS said:
7:23 They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost."
Allah SWT forgave him:
2:37 Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.
But when the Pharaon asked for forgiveness:
10:90 We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: "I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam)."
Allah SWT did not forgive him because he was never sincere.
That also explains why associantion is the biggest sin in Islam and is the only sin that Allah SWT does not forgive. It is not because Allah SWT does not want to forgive those who commit association, it is because they are not asking for forgiveness because they do not even know who they should ask forgiveness from by commiting association... This is a very subtel point to understand that if an associator was truly asking for forgivenss, Allah SWT will not turn him away but the problem is that association by its own definition exludes those who commit it from being able to ask for forgiveness because they do not know Allah SWT and hence can not ask forgiveness from someone they do not know. And that is why Allah SWT will never forgive them because they will never ask...
[This was the most interesting peice of information I have ever heard! it was the first time I heard such a wonderful explanation of why association can not be forgiven, thanks to this brother from Senegal]
This Friday our Imam talked about the coming of the great month of Ramadan. Ramadan is of course the month of fasting. Many times some non Muslims ask the Muslims why you are fasting and we give them various answers, for example: We are fasting because we want to feel what the poors feel or some other answers like this. The true answer however is the following:
2:183 O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,-
This means that our purpose of fasting is to learn self-restraint but the arabic word used is TAKWA which is a very strong and broad word for both hope and fear from Allah SWT.
The purpose of fasting is to become TAKIY. Meaning have the presence of Allah SWT in every aspect of your life.
Fasting is a proven way of controling our selves. The prophet SAAWS said:
O Young men, those among you who can support a wife should marry, for it restrains eyes from casting evil glances and preserves one from immorality, but those who cannot should devote themselves to fasting for it is a means of controlling sexual desire.
Besides fasting, the month of Ramadan is the month of the Quran, a month where the Quran descended from heavens to earth:
2.185 Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.
If someone does not read the Quran during the rest of the year than this is their chance to connect again with the words of Allah SWT. If a person can not do it in the month of Ramadan then it is almost impossible to do it in other months, because if this month all devils and evils are shut down. You have only your own soul to fight against not the whispiring of Satan and his evil soldiers. The prophet SAAWS said :
If the first night of Ramadan begins, the devils and the evil Jinn are chained, the doors of Hellfire are closed and none of them are open and the doors of Paradise ar opened and none of them are locked and a caller will call out: Oh you who seeks good come forward and oh you who seeks evil shy away, and Allah frees people from the Hellfire every night.
Put in your mind that in the month of Ramadan you are fighting only your own desires, the part of your soul that is AMARA BI AL-SOU2, while in the rest of the year you are fighting also the Chaytan and his whispering.
It is your chance now to reach out to Allah SWT, to ask Him for guidance and to cleanse your heart.
The reward is very big compare to the effort as the prophet SAAWS said:
Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.
The month of Ramadan is the month of the Quran and we have to make sure we see a difference in our life during this month by reading more of it and reflecting more on it. The prophet SAAWS said:
Whosoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah SWT will receive a Hasanah from it, and the Hasanah is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif-laam-meem is a letter, rather alif is a lettr, laam is a lettr and meem is a letter.
It is very important to reflect on this hadith of the prophet SAAWS:
it will be said to the beholder of the Quran: Recite, ascend and RATTIL as you used to RATTIL in the life of this world, for verily your level in Paradise is at the last verse you read.
Our Imam talked today about the new school year. Many new Muslim students are going to universities where they are going to meet a new Muslim community. Being a member of a Muslim community and as a Muslim they are some rules to be observed to lead a good life that benifets both the community and the Muslim person. Those rules can all be found in the following verses:
17.23 . Thy Lord hath decreed , that ye worship none save Him , and ( that ye show ) kindness to parents . If one of them or both of them to attain old age with thee , say not "Fie" unto them nor repulse them , but speak unto them a gracious word .
17.24 . And lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy , and say : My Lord! Have mercy on them both as they did care for me when I was little .
17.25 . Your Lord is best aware of what is in your minds . If ye are righteous , then lo! He was ever Forgiving unto those who turn ( unto Him ) .
17.26 . Give the kinsman his due , and the needy , and the wayfarer , and squander not ( thy wealth ) in wantonness .
17.27 . Lo! the squanderers were ever brothers of the devils , and the devil was ever an ingrate to his Lord .
17.28 . But if thou turn away from them , seeking mercy from thy Lord , for which thou hopest , then speak unto them a reasonable word .
17.29 . And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor open it with a complete opening , lest thou sit down rebuked , denuded .
17.30 . Lo! thy Lord enlargeth the provision for whom He will , and straiteneth ( it for whom He will ) . Lo , He was ever Knower , Seer of His slaves .
17.31 . Slay not your children , fearing a fall to poverty , We shall provide for them and for you . Lo! the slaying of them is great sin .
17.32 . And come not near unto adultery . Lo! it is an abomination and an evil way .
17.33 . And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden save with right . Whoso is slain wrongfully , We have given power unto his heir , but let him not commit excess in slaying . Lo! he will be helped .
17.34 . Come not near the wealth of the orphan save with that which is better till he come to strength ; and keep the covenant . Lo! of the covenant it will be asked .
17.35 . Fill the measure then ye measure , and weigh with a right balance ; that is meet , and better in the end .
17.36 . ( O man ) , follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge . Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart of each of these it will be asked .
17.37 . And walk not in the earth exultant . Lo! thou canst not rend the earth , nor canst thou stretch to the height of the hills .
17.38 . The evil of all that is hateful in the sight of thy Lord .
17.39 . This is ( part ) of that wisdom wherewith thy Lord hath inspired thee ( O Muhammad ) . And set not up with Allah any other god , lest thou be cast into hell , reproved , abandoned .
When the Muslim student goes to the university it is often far from home and it is most probably the first time that he/she will be away from family. The verses remind us that it is important to keep in mind your parents while away at school. Make sure you call them and ask about them.
In the new Muslim community for the Mustlim Student they are necessarly poor students, students who have difficulties, the Muslim student needs to put attention to them and help them if possible.
Being away from family for school is in a sense a new freedom given to the person to construct his/her personality and to learn to be self reliant. This new found freedom might be used in wrong ways however, the worst of it is fornication. We all know what happens in colleges compuses but a Muslim student is at college to learn and to develop academically while still in compliance with Allah SWT orders and rules. Fornication is a big sin and being away from family for the first time might encourage the person to commit this horribal sin. Allah SWT says:
17.32 . And come not near unto adultery . Lo! it is an abomination and an evil way .
Your body belongs to Allah SWT, He created you from nothing and sure you will be asked about His gifts. Your body is a gift from Allah SWT to you, use it in ways He approves.
The verses also mentions how important to be humble and deal fairly with others. In a new community it is important to create good brotherhood ties from the very begining. This can happen by showing kindness, smiling to your brothers and sisters. Make yourself available for others when they need you.
The verses are wonderful teaching for any person at any stage of life but for new students who are entering a new phase of their life it is very important to read and reflect on those verses and make sure you apply them in your new community.
The Imam started his sermon by the following verse:
2.185 . The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran , a guidance for mankind , and clear proofs of the guidance , and the Criterion ( of right and wrong ) . And whosoever of you is present , let him fast the month , and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey , ( let him fast the same ) number of other days . Allah desireth for you ease ; He desireth not hardship for you ; and ( He desireth ) that ye should complete the period , and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you , and that peradventure ye may be thankful .
We are about to begin the blessed month of Ramadan! This month is so great that the prophet SAAWS said:
“When the first night of Ramadan comes, the devils and rebellious jinns are put in chains and the door of hell are closed, none of them remains open. The door of heaven are open and none of them remains closed. And a caller calls, ‘O the seeker of goodness, come forward and o the seeker of evil, desist. And Allah has (many) who will be freed from Hell.’ This announcement is made every night."
In other words this is a month to enter Janah. This is a month where every human being is free from Satan. The only evil that stays with a person is the evil coming from his own soul [Al-Nafss Amara Bi Sou2]. This means that you have only to fight your soul against evil deeds while in other months you have to fight it in addition to Satan and his soldiers...
If you are going to win the battle of virtue and stead fastness, this is the best time.
In this month we have to fast :
2.183 . O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you , even as it was prescribed for those before you , that ye may ward off evil ) ;
Fasting was prescribed on Chrestians, on Jews and many other nations before us. We the nation of Mohamed SAAWS we are required to fast as well. The purpose of fasting is to learn TA9WA or to ward off evil. To learn how to make sure we do not commit sins. It is proven that in this month many people are able to give up many bad habits. The month of Ramadan is a proof that we can do good, be good, avoid evil deeds if we want to. Ramadan raises us to a higher level in which we have to stay after the end of this great month.
We have to remember that the prophet SAAWS cursed the person who does not take advantage of Ramadan. If Ramadan has no impact on your soul then you are truly lost. If you do not learn how to get close to Allah SWT in this month when all satans are chained up then most probably you will not be able in other months where satan, the biggest enemy of humanity is free to whisper evil deeds...
Fasting in Ramadan is one of 5 pillars of Islam. It is part of what makes us Muslims, those who submit to Allah SWT seeking His forgiveness and Janah inshaAllah.
Congratulations to all Muslims around the globe and thanks to Allah SWT for this wonderful gift. For this event that unites humanity in beautiful ways.
It has been already a week of Ramadan, a very special month, inshaAllah everyone is doing well and we are taking advantage of this blessed month to be better Muslims. The Imam talked about the following verse:
2.186 . And when My servant question thee concerning Me , then surely I am nigh . I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me . So let them bear My call and let them trust in Me , in order that they may be led aright .
This verse is an amazing, wonderful verse! Let's notice that this verse actually is in the middel of verses talking about Ramadan:
2.183 . O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you , even as it was prescribed for those before you , that ye may ward off evil ) ;
2.184 . ( Fast ) a certain number of days ; and ( for ) him who is sick among you , or on a journey , ( the same ) number of other days ; and for those who can afford it there is a ransom : the feeding of a man in need . But whoso doeth good of his own accord , it is better for him : and that ye fast is better for you if ye did but know
2.185 . The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran , a guidance for mankind , and clear proofs of the guidance , and the Criterion ( of right and wrong ) . And whosoever of you is present , let him fast the month , and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey , ( let him fast the same ) number of other days . Allah desireth for you ease ; He desireth not hardship for you ; and ( He desireth ) that ye should complete the period , and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you , and that peradventure ye may be thankful .
2.186 . And when My servant question thee concerning Me , then surely I am nigh . I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me . So let them bear My call and let them trust in Me , in order that they may be led aright .
2.187 . It is made lawful for you to go unto your wives on the night of the fast . They are raiment for you and ye are raiment for them . Allah is aware that ye were deceiving yourselves in this respect and He hath turned in mercy toward you and relieved you . So hold intercourse with them and seek that which Allah hath ordained for you , and eat and drink until the white thread becometh distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn . Then strictly observe the fast till nightfall and touch them not , but be at your devotions in the mosques . These are the limits imposed by Allah , so approach them not . Thus Allah expoundeth His revelations to mankind that they may ward off ( evil ) .
We have to ask ourselves why Allah SWT choose to put this verse in the middle of verses talking about Ramadan?!
If look closer we will see that in the verses surrounding this verse Allah SWT talks about the physical aspects of Ramadan, when to fast, when to break fast, what to abstain from, how to deal with others during the fast. However, literally, right in the middle of these instructions on how to fast, Allah SWT calls out to us, and He does so in a very unique way.
It bigins "And when My servant question thee concerning Me , then surely I am nigh .". Now typically, in the Quran, when we see an ayah begin such as this one with the phrase, "when My servant question thee concerning Me " or "when those come to thee who believe in Our signs", the answer is followed by "9ol", the arabic word which mean to say. Usualy the prophet SAAWS is instructed to say whatever message Allah SWT wishes to relay. But this is not the case here. In this Ayah, "when those come to thee who believe in Our signs", the answer is immediate: "then surely I am nigh ". Allah SWT directly spaks to us!!!.
MashaAllah, this is the beauty of Islam, we do not need intermediates between us and Allah SWT. Even as great as the prophet SAAWS is, He is not necessary for us to talk to Allah SWT.
We might be in countries where we are not the majority, in a time where we face struggles, where we do not have the prophet SAAWS physically in front of us, but we have Allah SWT because He makes it a point to directly tell us that indeed He is close to His servants... This is very comforting to us as Muslims because if Allah is with you, it does not matter if humanity, a creature of Allah SWT, is against you...
Now we have read this aya and looked at it, as just a single ayah by itself. Consider this ayah in its context, which is right in the middle of the ayats about Ramadan. We can begin to understand this process of fasting and teh holy month of Ramadan because even though Allah SWT says He is indeed close to His servants and even though this is true at all times, we as servants we ar not always good servants. The truth is we falter at times, we deviate from the straight path, and in doing so,we push Allah SWT away from us, We essentially close our eyes to this truth.
However, during this holy month of Ramadan,where we abstain from food and water and where we deny the strongest impulse in our body which is that of self-prservation, we are essentially using the fasting, as a vehicle to open our eyes, to remind us of the truth which is that Allah SWT is indeed close to us.
So as an ayah by itself it is beautiful, but as an ayah in relation to Ramadan, it is even more meaningful because of its direct connection to our fast.
Now we have recognized Allah SWT closeness to His servants and the role that Ramadan plays in reminding us of His closeness. But this is just the begining:
2.186 . And when My servant question thee concerning Me , then surely I am nigh . I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me .
Again this is a very comforting thing for Muslims to hear. Allah SWT is saying that whenever a DUA is made, He hears it. This promise should give us hope because look closely, it does not say only big prayers are listened to, NO, it says that the prayer of every servant who makes DUA is listened to. This promise is again one of the beauties of Islam.
We all have equal rights to Allah SWT. He will listen to everyone. So the idea that my family does not understand me, or my community does not understand me, or so and so authority just does not understand, does not apply in Islam. The reason is that Allah SWT does in fact understand everything you do whether it be: good or bad, and this is so because as He has just promised us, He is indeed close to us, and He listens to every prayer of His servant.
Now again this ayat alone is able to stand on its own, but we can still get more from it by looking at the context in which it is given. It is, as mentioned before, in the middle of the ayats about Ramadan. And we should ask ourselves: why is this?
Allah SWT listens to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Him. This is a gift but how many of us take advantage of this promise? how many of us mak dua whenever we can? Now we can understand the role of Ramadan in regards to this ayah. Because as we fast during this holy month, every time we feel pain from hunger or thirst, we inevitably remember Allah SWT. And in doing so, inshaAllah you remember his ayah, which is so precisely located in the middle of the ayats about Ramadan. And again inshaAllah, in remembring this ayah, you remember the promise of Allah SWT made to us and again inshaAllah, you take advantage of it by making dua throughout the day.
We see that Ramadan is a vehicle which should not just leave us hungry but remind us of this truth:
2.186 . And when My servant question thee concerning Me , then surely I am nigh . I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me . So let them bear My call and let them trust in Me , in order that they may be led aright .
The ending of this verse is essentially what Islam is all about. It basically summarizes what we should do as Muslims: first, we listen, to the truth, then we believe, in the truth, and utlimately the final test, is that we actually walk, in the right way. These three actions: listening, beleiving and doing show Islam, which is complete submission to Allah SWT.
This verse is so clear, so simple that no one ca deny its message. Allah SWT reasures us that no matter where you are physically, chrnologically that He is indeed close. Allah SWT promises us, that He does hear all the prayers of His servants. So first, He reassures us and comforts us with these words, then He calls upon us to do something.
And this is th best our deen, the ultimate test. And the ending to this ayan is even more relevant to us now, in the month of Ramadan, than at any other time.
During Ramadan, the devils are chained up and the gates of Hell are closed, so during this month, it is only Allah SWT and His servants. During Ramadan, there is no better time to listen to the truth, to believe in the truth, and walk in the right way. Why, because there is no one else except you and Allah SWT. Our fasting should serve us to realize this connection and to, inshaAllah, answer His call just as He has promised to remain close to us and answer each one of our calls.
I apologize for missing a month worth of sermons. Not that I missed going to the mosque, but I do miss my grandmother who died the month of Ramadan. It was a tough month, full of travels and dramas, but inshaAllah she is in a better place.
The sermons were about the greatness of Ramadan, a subject widley discussed in the Islamic litterature, so I hope you did not miss a lot even though reminder is always good for a believer.
Here is the last sermon I attended to:
The focus of today’s talk are two verses from Surah Bani Israel. Verse no. 31 and 32 go as follows:
17.31 . Slay not your children , fearing a fall to poverty , We shall provide for them and for you . Lo! the slaying of them is great sin .
17.32 . And come not near unto adultery . Lo! it is an abomination and an evil way .
Before Islam, the Arabs used to kill the new born babies out of fear that the parents would not be able to provide for their offspring.
This concept is obviously abhorrent to us no matter which society or culture we come from. However another kind of infanticide is going on these days which is just as much of a sin but is something which by-and-large is accepted in the West as moral and legitimate.
During ancient times, science had not advanced to the extent that people could kill their offspring’s before birth or prevent birth. This concept of abortion is a modern phenomenon and the ease by which it can take place is one of the marvels of the 20th century; when science made great contributions. Let me give you a little background on this phenomenon and the enormous impact it has had on the social fabric of modern western society: During the last half of 19th century, work on the concept of family planning began as a well thought out plan. This concept was advanced by Thomas Robert Malthus (1834), British economist, ‘An essay on principal of population’. The theory he presented was that the world population is increasing at an alarming proportion and if left unchecked, by around mid of next century, entire world food sources will disappear, no food will be available.
There was a mass movement in the west for small families. To achieve this target new drugs were invented to prevent pregnancies. In absence of moral scruples, ethics and sense of right and wrong, the immediate outcome of these new developments was that, it provided incentive and opportunity for infidelity; Now people could indulge in adultery without any fear or anxiety. The new generation indulged in this act without inconvenience, distraction or botheration of responsibility.
Over the years the element of sin or wrong was tamed and pacified Adultery became a familiar and accepted notion; it is unfortunate but overtime the concept of legitimizing adultery has also tried to gather strength in muslim societies in the West. Over the summer, I read a book written by an author by the name of Asra Nomani. The title of the book is “Standing alone in Meeca” and in it the author talks about how difficult it is for a young muslim woman in the West to remain detached from this temptation since it is all around us.
The impact of this sin are now coming full circle in the West: Many Western countries are now having zero or negative growth, resources are available but human resource is missing. French government offers prize money and holidays to women who give birth, Sweden offers one year paid holiday to the father along with the mother. There is a widespread concept that the prosperity and affluence of western nations is because they have fewer children. This is not based on reality.
West has prosperity because they are hard working, have good policies and Allah has blessed them with good leaders. If less population was the criteria, then there are many sparsely populated nations who should also be equally progressive like Afghanistan (35 people/sq km), Somalia (11 people/sq km), Sudan ( 12), Chad (5.4)…In fact some of the most affluent nations have large populations like Hong Kong (5753 people/sq km), Singapore (4,612), Japan (337).
Furthermore, the fear of food shortage predicted by Thomas Malthus has also proven to be wrong: Yes, its true that there are far more people in the world today then there were 200 years ago. Yet food is plentiful and abundant In USA alone 96 billion pounds of food is thrown away every year; belive it or not this is enough to feed the entire world!!!. In some places people are dying due to overeating, while at other places they are dying due to lack of it and this is only because some governments around the world are using food supplies to the hungry around the world and are using it a weapon to achieve their own political agendas. In past 60 years, worldwide food has become cheaper in relation to earning power In USA 46 million and in Europe 11 million of prime farm land is intentionally left uncultivated, to prevent overproduction of crop With existing technology the world has sufficient resources to feed 80 billion people. World can support up to 1000 billion people.
The reality is that Today in developed countries there are fewer children, fewer dependents, parents in old homes, plenty of resources and food, providing incentive for immoral behavior. Bill Clinton recently remarked that soon 60% of American population will be illegitimate This epidemic has overwhelmed the entire world. This leads us to the 2nd part of the talk in which Allah commands us:
17.32 . And come not near unto adultery . Lo! it is an abomination and an evil way .
The primary issue with adultery is that it leads to zulm. The word zulm means to ‘To take away or remove a thing from its proper place’. Let me give you a simile as to how adultery and zulm are related. Consider the case of a person who goes to a shop and likes something; permitted and allowed Proper way; pay the price and take it. This is Insaaf, justice, as long as there is justice society will be peaceful. People will get their right
What will be Zulm? Without taking permission, without paying the price, if a person picks up what he likes, what is this?
Similar is the case between men and women. There is a natural attraction and appeal between a man and woman, this is not a problem, in fact it is desired for the continuity of human race, Allah has created this attraction. Allah has established a proper procedure for it so that zulm in society does not occur.
This is also why Islam has placed precautions into place so that bad situations don’t occur. Restriction on free mixing of men and women; this is necessary for peace, justice and retaining appeal and desirability Segregation does not make the society perverted When there is a blatant, brazen and unashamed display, no attraction is left. Free mixing results in zulm on the weaker party, main brunt bore by women, IS THIS THE LIBERATION OF WOMEN WE WANT TO SEE? Look at the US itself. Vast majority of single parent households are run by women. Woman as a single parent, bear the entire responsibility, supporting, rearing a child, with little or no financial and emotional support from the father.
Im going to wrap up my talk by stating that the biggest obstacle to forming a society free of adultery is the social pressures we all have to face to live up to certain expectations of society. Today's slogan; The one who manages to attract maximum number of people is regarded as bold and confident, those who are not interested in attracting attention are termed as boring, under confident and dim witted. Im not going to mince words when I talk about the incredibly important place modesty has in Islam. It was said by the Prophet (PBUH) once: “Haya, modesty is a branch of Iman and place of Iman is Paradise, immodesty is a transgression and wrongdoing leads to Hell”. This is why I urge everyone present right now to please keep this fact in mind when they go about their daily lives. Interaction between is not disallowed in Islam and is something very necessary for the daily functioning of society. Its when this interaction starts leading to affairs and girl/boy friend relationships that we know something is wrong. The fine line between these two scenarios is something we should always be mindful of.
Thank you.
The Imam recited the following for the prayer:
1.1 . In the name of Allah , the Beneficent , the Merciful
1.2 . Praise be to Allah , Lord of the Worlds ,
1.3 . The Beneficent , the Merciful .
1.4 . Owner of the Day of Judgment ,
1.5 . Thee ( alone ) we worship ; Thee alone we ask for help .
1.6 . Show us the straight path ,
1.7 . The path of those whom Thou hast favored ; Not ( the path ) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who astray .
and
107.1 . Hast thou observed him who belieth religion?
107.2 . That is he who repelleth the orphan ,
107.3 . And urgeth not the feeding of the needy .
107.4 . Ah , woe unto worshippers
107.5 . Who are heedless of their prayer ;
107.6 . Who would be seen ( at worship )
107.7 . Yet refuse small kindnesses!
then
1.1 . In the name of Allah , the Beneficent , the Merciful
1.2 . Praise be to Allah , Lord of the Worlds ,
1.3 . The Beneficent , the Merciful .
1.4 . Owner of the Day of Judgment ,
1.5 . Thee ( alone ) we worship ; Thee alone we ask for help .
1.6 . Show us the straight path ,
1.7 . The path of those whom Thou hast favored ; Not ( the path ) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who astray .
and
114.1 . Say : I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind ,
114.2 . The King of mankind ,
114.3 . The God of mankind ,
114.4 . From the evil of the sneaking whisperer ,
114.5 . Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind ,
114.6 . Of the jinn and of mankind .
Donations for this Friday will be given to victims of the Pakisan Earthquake that occured last year and from which people are still suffering...
Respected Elders, Brothers and Sisters, by the mercy of Allah SWT, we have been blessed with the gift of Islam. We have been blessed with a Deen that is undeniably the most beautiful thing on earth. And by the grace of Allah SWT, this undeniable beauty has been placed in our hearts. Truly, anywhere we go in the world, we can say AssalamuAlaikum to a Muslim and receivea smile and a wish of peace in return. Anywhere we go in the world we are welcomed into the house of Allah SWT with open arms to pray alongside our brothers and sisters even if they are complete strangers. And at any time, anywhere we go, we can raise our hands and ask Allah SWT for his guidance and mercy. Respected elders, Brothers, and sisters, we are all truly blessed.
Nowadays, we see people trying to deface and distort our beautiful religion by condemning Islam as backwards and disrespecting the prophet Mohamed SWS. We all witness th way Muslims are oppressed throughout the world. But, Brother's and sisters, this oppression is not new, nad in the past, opression of Muslims has only strengthned their beliefs. Mussa ASWS, was born into one of the most oppressive nations ever to exist. The pharaoah was not detaining Muslims and drawing cartoons of the Prophet SWS, he was killing every slave's first born son one by one. Moise ASWS overcame all of this with simple faith in Allah SWT. In the time of the prophet SWS, opposition to Islam was also immense. Bilal RAA, one of the companions of the Prophet ASWS was taken out to the desert by his masters, and in the searing heart, heavy rocks were placed upon his chest on after another simply because he was Muslim. In the face of treatement Bilal RAA kept repeating "Ahadun Ahadun" expressing his unwavering belief in Islam.
These examples illustrate the strength and beauty that the Muslim heart contains. They illustrate that no matter how much pesecution Muslims face, relentless faith in Allah SWT is enought to overcome anything. But these examples also teach us that having an unyielding desire to increase our deen is necessary.
Moise ASWS and Bilal RAA could not be broken because they all has this desire in their hearts. Bilal RAA did not stop expressing his belief in Islam because he was in pain. At no time did he give in to his master and be satisfied with the idea that he had done enough. No, Bilal's desire to follow the deen of Allah SWT never stopped and never diminished.
Having this desire in our own hearts is thus very important. In Surah Hajj, Allah says:
22:78 And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline). He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah! He is your Protector - the Best to protect and the Best to help!
This constant spiritual struggle was also one of the characteristics of the Prophet SWS, a characteristic that we should try to emulate.
Al-Mughira narrates that the prophet SAAWS used to offer night prayers till his feet became swollen. Somebody said, to him: "Allah has forgiven you, your faults of the past adn those to follow." On that, he SAAWS said, "Shouldn't I be a thankful slave of Allah SWT?"
Even though all of the prophet SAAWS past and future sins had already been forgiven, he still felt a desire to please Allah SWT. we must attempt to follow this example of the Prophet SWS.
Respected elders, brothers, and sisters,spiritual struggle has several benefits. It compels us to follow Allah's commands. It gives us strength to avoid being swayed by our Nafs and by Shaitan. And it also compels us to make the most of the time we have in this world.
There are simple things that we can do to increase our inner desire to improve ourselves.
Praying regularly and on time is the most important. Prayer is the _first thing_ that we will be asked about on the day of judgement.
If our prayer is in order, it is likely that everything else will be in order as well. If our prayer is lacking, it is likely that the rest of our deeds will be lacking. Prayer can help us in many ways. It increases our Iman and Taqwa. It also helps us remember the true purpose of our lives, to please Allah SWT.
Also, prayer helps us keep our priorities in life straight. We all have life ambitions, career goals, and are focused on our education, but when we stand in prayer, we take time away from the world and focus on what is really important. Doing this consistently reminds us that we must struggle to maintain our deen more than anything else, because our deen is the only thing that matters. It is the only thing that wont whither with time.
We should also try to constantly remember the infinite mercy of Allah SWT and all of the blessings that he has bestowed upon us. We can do this at anytime, and anywhere. For instance, if we are walking around on campus, we can say AlhamduliAllah because Allah has given us the ability to walk and run. If we are studying, then we can say AlhamduliAllah because Allah has given us intellect to understand the world. If we are visit home, we can say AlhamduliAllah because Allah has given us good families who support us. When we wake up in the morning we should say AlhamduliAllah because Allah has granted us more time in this world to fulfill our obligations. The hadith I mentioned earlier teaches us that we must never feel we have thanked Allah SWT enough. We should realize that Allah has given us everything that we have. And that we should struggle to please him by doing everything we can to increase our deen.
We should also become aware of the dangers of complacency in religion. If we feel that we are praying enough, reading enough Quran, fasting regularly and giving charity and that this is enough, then we are wrong, not only are we wrong, we must look within our hearts to realize that something is missing. Spiritual stuggle should never end. From the time that w are able to understand the difference between right and wrong until the time what we die, we should be stuggling to increase our Deen.
Respected elders, Brothers and Sisters, we must have a desire to constantly improve ourselves in the eyes of Allah SWT in order to attain success in this world and in the Akhira. Only this desire can give us strength to overcome the difficult tests that we face in this world. And only this desire gives us motivation to maximize the limited time we have in this world. We must pray that Allah SWT instills this desire within our hearts so that we may be able to please Him. And we must take action to prove to Allah SWT that we are turly trying. The most important step we can take is consistently praying regularly and on time. In fact, if htere is anything that we can take from this khutba it is just that we must struggle to maintain our Salah. If there is nothing else we do, we simply must make sure that today after Jumah we take time whatever we are goind and offer Asr salah with true humility and gratitude in our hearts. After prayer, we attempt to remember the bounties Allah SWT has bestowed upon us, and realize that we must try our hardest to thank him.
Brothers and sisters, our time in this world is limited. I do not think any of us want to stand in front of Allah SWT o the day of judgement believing that we could have done more to please Him. We must realize that in order to be turly successful in this life and the next, we must constantly struggle to improve ourselves in the eyes of Allah SWT.
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