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“Where Is the Love?”

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

24 October 2009 Penang, Malaysia

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi ta`ala wa barakaatuh. Alhamdulillahi Rabbi 'l-`alameen, wa 's-salaatu wa 's-salaamu `ala ashrafi 'l-mursaleen, Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammadan wa `ala aalihi wa saahbihi ajma`een. (Mawlana speaks in Arabic for a few minutes)

O Muslims! I would like to extend my thanks and my appreciation, that I am nobody. I am trying to be nobody but unfortunately I have this form on me, so I am someone like you. But we try as much as we can to be following the footsteps of the Prophet (s) who was the most humble in human life. That's why I would like to extend my appreciation to Noor ul-Islam, Sultan Sayed, and the treasurer and the secretary of SimplyIslam, Nassir Mohamed, that gave us this opportunity to be here tonight with you.

Alhamdulillah, it is a blessed night because we are coming for something important in our life. The title that they asked me to speak about is a title so easy but so complicated; so nice but very difficult to achieve.

If we say, “Where is love?” we can explain more, but where is the the love, that is difficult. Where is the means there is a certain love that we are looking for. There are too many different kinds of love that human beings can understand - there is love between husband and wife, there is love between parents and children, there is love between communities, there is love between dialogue with other people. The Prophet (s) showed love to everyone but where is the love that is important. "Where is the love" means there is something special in it that Prophet (s) said, "Laa yu'minu ahadukum hatta yuhibu li akhihi maa yuhibu li-nafsihi." Someone cannot be a believer until he loves for his brother or his sister as he loves for himself, or as she loves for herself. If this is between us, that we love for each other what we love for ourselves, what do you think about the One who created you and created love?

لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى يحب لأخيه ما يحب لنفسه

laa yu'minu ahadukum hatta yuhibbu li-akheehi maa yuhibbu li-nafsih.

"None of you believes until you love for your brother what you love for yourself." (Bukhari and Muslim)

If the Prophet (s) says you are not a believer if you do not love for your brother as you love for yourself, laa yu'minu ahadukum, no one can be considered a believer, or that he fulfilled the beliefs, imaan, until he loves for his brother as he loves for himself. What do you think about the One who created love? The One who created love, loves what He owns and what does Allah (swt) own? Allah (swt) owns everyone. We own nothing. Who owns us? Do we own ourselves? Even if you have buildings, even if you have palaces, even if you have countries, you don't own it! Can someone show me that a person can own something forever? No way. One day you are leaving it behind you and going. It means you don't even own yourself. So something that you don't own, you don't love. But something that Allah owns, He loves because Allah owns everything. You don't own. Allah owns us.

أتى رجل سأل النبي صلى الله عليه وآله سلم عن الساعة ، فقال : متى الساعة ؟ قال الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : ( وماذا أعددت لها ) . قال الرجل: لا شيء ، إلا أني أحب الله ورسوله صلى الله عليه وآله سلم ، فقال الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: ( أنت مع من أحببت . قال أنس : فما فرحنا بشيء فرحنا بقول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : ( أنت مع من أحببت ) . قال أنس : فأنا أحب النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وأبا بكر وعمر ، وأرجو أن أكون معهم بحبي إياهم ، وإن لم أعمل بمثل أعمالهم .

صحيح

That's why one time someone came to Prophet (s); a bedouin out of the blue appeared at the door of the Prophet (s) when he was doing Jumma’ah and asked him, "Mata as-sa`atu yaa Rasoolullah?" "When is the Day of Judgment? O Muhammad (s), when is the Day of Judgment?" The Prophet (s) is in Jumu`ah. You know in Jumu`ah no one can answer; when the Imam or the khateeb is doing the Jumu'ah he cannot speak with people. The Prophet (s) didn't answer. Then the man said another time, that bedouin, "Mataa as-sa`atu yaa Rasoolullah?" "When is the Day of Judgment?" This is very important; we pass by the ahadith of Prophet (s) without going deep into it. It's better to think and meditate on every hadith that you are reading. Don't be like a storyteller, to pass by it and go.

He said, "When is the Day of Judgment, yaa Muhammad (s)?" He didn't answer. Then he (the Bedouin) asked a third time and Allah (swt) sent Jibra’il (a). He said, "Yaa Muhammad, answer." And Prophet (s) asked at that time, “This is a long travel, what have you prepared for it?” If you want to go for Hajj today, you prepare a lot of luggage for yourself. If you want to go to Hajj you try to carry as much as you can of money, or credit cards or debit cards. Now the best companion for everyone is a telephone. You keep your telephone in your pocket and you go to Hajj. The Prophet (s) is asking, “What are you preparing? This is a long way to go.”

The Bedouin looked at Prophet (s) and said, `alaa mahabbatika, yay Rasulallah." “Your love, yaa Muhammad.” Because the love of Muhammad (s) is important. As Prophet (s) said in a hadith reported in Bukhari:

لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى أكون أحب إليه من ولده ووالده والناس أجمعين

`An Anas qaala, qaala Rasulallahi (s): Laa yu'minu ahadukum aw `abdun...fee hadeeth aakhar...hatta akoona ahabbu ilayhi min nafsihi wa maalihi wa waladihi wa waalidihi wa 'n-naasi ajma`een.

None of you becomes a true believer until he loves me more than himself, his wealth, his children, his parents and all of mankind.

It means love of Prophet (s) is the love because it takes you to the love of Allah (swt).

مَّنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللّهَ

Man yutee` ar-rasool faqad ataa` Allah

"Who obeys the Prophet obeys Allah" (4:80)

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ

Ati`oo'Llah wa at`ioo 'r-Rasool.

"Obey Allah and obey the Prophet." (4:59, 5:92, 24:54, 47:33, 64:12)

Who obeys Prophet (s) is obeying Allah. Who loves Prophet (s) loves Allah (swt), because Prophet (s) is showing you the way to Allah (swt). So from that he said, “Yaa Muhammad (s) I love you!” It's so easy today to say, "I love you," by tongue to people, to each other. If you really love someone, however that one may harm you, you will never come against him or her. Why do men and women, especially young ones, today love each other and after a while they break? They break their love, they break their family, they break their marriages.

If you love Sayyidina Muhammad (s), you have no right to break that love because that becomes a holy love. What did the Prophet (s) say?

‏حدثنا ‏ ‏أنس بن مالك ‏ ‏قال: ‏بينما أنا ورسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏خارجين من المسجد فلقينا ‏ ‏رجلا ‏ ‏عند ‏ ‏سدة ‏ ‏المسجد فقال يا رسول الله متى الساعة قال رسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏ما أعددت لها قال فكأن الرجل استكان ثم قال يا رسول الله ما أعددت لها كبير صلاة ولا صيام ولا صدقة ولكني أحب الله ورسوله قال فأنت مع من أحببت

`an Anas ibn Malik `an abihi `an `Abdullah anna an-Nabiyy qaal, qaal: al-maru ma` man ahab.

As narrated by Imam Ahmed, Prophet (s) said, "People will be resurrected with whom they love."

If you love Allah and His Prophet you will be with His Prophet (s) on the Day of Judgment. So that is where you can find real love.

That's why Allah (swt) said:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Qul in kuntum tuhiboon Allaha fat-tabi`oonee yuhbibkumullah wa yaghfir lakum dhunoobakum.

"Say: 'If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'" (3:31)

Where is the love? From where does the love originate in your system? Everyone think, "Where is the love?" Do you know that Holy Qur’an is the words of Allah (swt)? Do you believe that the Holy Qur'an is the words of Allah (swt)? Yes, of course Muslims believe that the words of al Qur'an are the words of Allah (swt).

Allah loves His words. Allah loves His words because He owns His words. Allah loves Qur'an because Qur'an is for Allah, for Him that is His own words. Kalaamahu al-qadeemi. There is not an English translation for these three words; they are very subtle words in Arabic. It is Allah's ancient Word, if we can translate it, it is Allah's ancient Word. It is not created. Don't ever think that Qur'an is created, it is coming from Allah (swt), directly from His own words. What Prophet (s) said, look it is very important.

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أحب الكلام إلى الله أربع سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله والله أكبر لا يضرك بأيهن بدأت - رواه مسلم

He said, ahabbu 'l-kalaam il Allahi ta`ala arba`a. "The most lovely words to Allah are four." It means if you really want the love, you have to follow what the Prophet (s) said about these four words and these four words are from the Holy Qur'an. Ahhabu 'l-kalaami il-Allahi ta`ala arba`a. Laa yadurruka bi-ayyihim badat. "No harm in which one you begin: SubhaanAllah, w 'alhamdulillah, wa laa illaha ill-Llah, w 'Allahu akbar. These four words, SubhaanAllah, w 'alhamdulillah, wa laa illaha ill-Llah, w' Allahu akbar are the words that Allah (swt) loves so much. It was narrated by Muslim.

قال: قال رسول الله : كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان ثقيلتان في الميزان، حبيبتان إلى الرحمن: سبحان الله وبحمده، سبحان الله العظيم - متفق عليه

Kalimataan khafeefataan `ala 'l-lisaan thaqeelataan fi 'l-meezaan, habeeibataan ila 'r-Rahmaan: Subhaanallah wa bi hamdihi, subhanallahi 'l-`azheem.

These words that Allah loves, what is the Prophet (s) explaining about them? He said, "Two words are very light on the tongue, very heavy on the scale, lovely to Allah (swt): Subhaanallah wa bi hamdihi, subhanallahi 'l-`azheem" Allah loves them.They are from the Holy Qur'an and Allah (swt) loves these words. So it means the secret of the love is in Holy Qur'an because it indicates that the love of Allah (swt) is within these words that are part of the Holy Qur'an. Subhanallah is part of Holy Qur'an. Alhamdulillah is too many times mentioned.

أفضل الذكر لا إله إلا الله - رواه الترمذي وقال: حديث حسن.

afdal adh-dhikr Laa ilaaha ilaLlah.

"the best form of remembrance (dhikr) is there is not god except Allah."

فَافعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

Fa`lam annahu laa ilaha illa-Lllah, "Know that there is no god except Allah" (47:19).

Allahu akbar! Kabirhu takbeera. These words from Holy Qur'an, means the words of Holy Qur'an are so appreciated when someone recites them.

O Muslims! If you really want to reach the love of Allah (swt) do what the Prophet used to do, he kept his heart busy with dhikrullah. If you look at the Holy Qur’an, how many times has the word 'heart' been mentioned? Does anyone know? The word 'heart', al qalb, qalbu 'l-insaan, the human being's heart where all love is there, it is the center of the love on the human body. How many times has it been mentioned in Holy Qur'an, the heart, by itself, alone? It is mentioned more than 97 times. In the Holy Qur'an the word 'heart', in different verses of Holy Qur'an it is mentioned more than 97 times. Ninety-seven times makes the people to know that the heart is important and that's why Prophet (s), by hadith book of Bukhari, when he said alaa inna fi '-l jasadi mutdgha idhaa saluhat saluha'l-jasad kullah wa idhaa fusidat fasada'l-jasad kulluh. Alaa innaha hiya 'l-qalb. "For sure, there is a small organ, small flesh in the body. If that flesh is healthy, the whole body is healthy. If that flesh is not healthy, the whole body is not healthy." Which is the heart, and the heart is the center of love. Love for Allah, and love for the Prophet (s).

O Muslims, look at that hadith of Prophet (s). He said, it is an authentic hadith:

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إن الله تعالى قال من عادي لي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب وما تقرب إلى عبدي بشيء أحب إلى مما افترضته عليه ولا يزال عبدي يتقرب إلى بالنوافل حتى أحبه فإذا أحببته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به وبصره الذي يبصر به ويده التي يبطش بها ورجله التي يمشي بها ولئن سألني لأعطينه ولئن استعاذني لأعيذنه رواه البخاري

"wa laa yazaala `abdee yataqarrabu ilayya bi 'n-nawaafil hatta uhibbuh." He said, "My servant, if he continues approaching Me through voluntary worship, I will love him." For Allah to love you means you are trying your best to do something that Allah likes. We don't know what Allah likes? Yes, we know; the Prophet (s) showed us. He said, yataqarrabu ilaya bi 'n-naawaafil. It means, "If My servant approaches Me through voluntary worship..." not through obligation. Obligation, you have to do it; if you are willing or not willing, you have to do it! Your five pillars of religion of Islam, you have to do them. But nawafil, you don't need to do them.

And as Nooru 'l-Islam Association, for example, is doing, it is called doing relationship between communities. That is a nafl. That is something you are doing voluntarily; no one asked you to do it. So this is as if you are approaching to reach the Muslims (and it might be the non-Muslims even), reaching them because they are in need to be reached. You are helping them because they are Allah's servants. You are reaching them because they are Allah's servants. This is a voluntary worship. If everyone does voluntary worship, I don't think there will be problems around the world. Everyone will live in peace. When someone has a million dollars, or ten million dollars, or a hundred million dollars and he helps his community, I don't think there will be people who are poor. All the Muslims will be living in a happy situation.

So the Prophet (s) said, "laa zaala `abdee yataqarrabu ilayya bi 'n-nawaafil li hatta uhibbuh." "As long as My servant follows and continues following, doing voluntary worship, I will love him. When I love him, I will be his ears that he can hear with." "Fa idhaa ahbabtuhu kuntu sama`uhu 'Lladhee yasma`u bihi wa basaruhu' Lladhee yubsiru bih wa yadahu' Lladhee yabtishu bihaa wa rijluhu 'Lladhee yamshee bihaa. "I will be his ears that he can hear with." (It means) "I give him hearing." A special kind of hearing, not normal hearing. When Allah (swt) says, "I will give him hearing," already we have hearing, but this is going to be a different hearing. kuntu sama`uhu 'Lladhee yasma`u bihi "I will be his ears that he will hear with," it means you will be hearing the reality of the people who are in need. You will be able to hear those who need to be rescued. You will be able to hear those who will need love. You will be able to hear those who have lost things.

Sayyidina `Umar (r) came to his wife when he became Amir ul-Mu'mineen crying and she said, "Yaa Ameeru 'l-Mu'mineen, why are you crying? Today you are the highest." He was crying when they appointed him Ameeru 'l-Mu'mineen, as the Khalifah of Rasoolullah (s)! He began to cry. People today, if they get a little bit of a position, they become tyrants; they lose their love. They become a tyrant to everyone to keep that chair that they are sitting on. Sayyidina 'Umar was crying and she asked him, "Why are you crying? You are Ameeru 'l-Mu'mineen, everything is in your hands." He said, "Yes, that is why I am crying. Because if someone will die in the desert, I am responsible. If someone doesn't have food, I am responsible. Allah will question me." This is out of the sincerity and love that is in their hearts.

O Muslims! The Prophet (s) is continuing that hadith. He said, "Not only will Allah give him a special hearing, Allah will also give him a special vision, special sight. He can see what people cannot see."kuntu sama`uhu 'Lladhee yasma`u bihi wa basaruhu' Lladhee yubsiru bih, "I will give him vision that he can see with." It means you can see what others cannot see, as the Prophet (s) said:

اتقوا فراسة الموئمن فانه ينظر تنور الله

ittaqoo firaasata'l-mu'min fa innahu yandhuru bi-noorillah

"Be aware of the vision of the believer because he can see what is in your heart, because he is looking at you from the light that Allah gave to him."

O Muslims, the lovers of Allah (swt), keep doing voluntary worship. That means keep doing community work. Your community is in need; that way you can show your love to Allah and His Prophet (s). He said, wa yadahu' Lladhee yabtishu bihaa wa rijluhu 'Lladhee yamshee bihaa. "And his hand that he can touch and can sense with it, his feet, his legs that he can walk with." It means that he will always be walking on siraatu 'l-mustaqeem. "I will not let him fall right or left, I will keep him in the middle."

O Muslims! Try to be on siraatu 'l-mustaqeem by improving your love toward Allah and His Prophet (s) and how to improve? To help each other. The Prophet (s) said - Abu Huraira narrated, and it is mentioned by Imam as-Suyuti fi 'l-Jaami`ee as-Sagheer:

قال النبي (صلى الله عليه و سلم) :ألا أدلك على كلمة من تحت العرش , من كنز الجنة ؟ تقول : لا حول و لا قوة الا بالله. فيقول الله : أسلم عبدي و استسلم

alaa adulak `ala kalimatan min tahti 'l-`arsh, min kunooz al-jannah? : laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah, fayaqul Allah: aslama `abdee wa 'staslam.

where he said that the Prophet (s) said to Abu Hurayrah that "Do you want me to tell you a Word from under the Throne?" It means a very high heavenly word.

"Do you need me to tell it to you?" means, "I am going to tell it to you so you can tell it to the ummah, kalimatan min tahti 'l-`arsh, a Word from under the Throne, min kunoozi 'l-Jannah, from the treasures of heavens. You say, yaa Abu Huraira, laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah, Say, there is no power except by Allah (swt)."

Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah. When you say it, faya qul Allah, aslama `abdee, "My servant, surrendered to me. He became Muslim." W 'astaslama `abdee, "And he surrendered to Me." If you surrender to someone, it means you love someone. It means when you keep reciting laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah as the Prophet (s) said, Allah will say, "My `abd became a Muslim."

Are we remembering to say daily laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah? We forget! And the Prophet (s) is saying to us, "There is a way of love, because Allah loves his servant to be Muslim." Allah loves His servant to surrender to Him, and the word of surrendering is to say laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah. It means in English, "There is no power, there is no other way, except the way of Allah (swt). There is no power except the power of Allah (swt)."

And the Prophet (s) said in another narration from Sayyidina Abu Hurayrah, narrated by Imam Muslim:

لأن أقول سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله والله أكبر أحب إلي مما طلعت عليه الشمس - رواه مسلم

he said, `An an-Nabi salallahu `alayhi wa sallam, that Prophet said, la'in aqoolu subhaanAllah w 'alhamdulillah wa laa ilaaha illa-Llah w 'allahu akbar ahabbu ilaya mimma tuli`at `alayhi 'sh-shams, " If I say subhaanAllah w 'alhamdulillah wa laa ilaaha illa-Llah w 'allahu akbar, "It is so lovely to Allah (swt), better than this whole dunya! To say it one time, subhaanAllah w 'alhamdulillah wa laa ilaaha illa-Llah w 'allahu akbar, is better to Allah and more lovely to Allah than (whatever the sun has risen over, which means) this whole dunya.

O Muslims! They are directing us, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is directing us to what is benefitting us and that's where it is benefitting us. The Holy Qur'an mentioned the heart 97 times and He mentioned the chest more than 141 times. Because there is so much importance on the heart and the chest. The heart is where you keep everything to yourself and the chest is where you breathe and when you breathe you thank Allah (swt) that He gave you life. You breathe in thanking Allah that He gave you life, breathe out thanking Allah that He gave you life. If you are not breathing, you are dead. That's why sincere, pious people, servants of Allah (swt) around the world from the time of Prophet (s) until today, you can find many of them always they are breathing in with la ilaaha illa-Llah , breathing out with la ilaaha illa-Llah.

fa`lam annahu laa ilaaha illa-Llah. It means you are saying, "Ya Rabbee! I am breathing in with Your Power, I am breathing out with Your Power. You are my Lord."

O Muslims! To show love to Allah (swt), the Prophet (s) used to come at night and knock on the door (Mawlana Shaykh makes knocking sound on microphone) of Sayyida Fatima and Sayyidina `Ali. Because the Prophet (s) used to encourage everyone to pray at nighttime Salaatu 't-Tahajjud before fajr, a little bit before fajr people can wake up and pray Salaatu 't-Tahajjud. One time he passed by Sayyidina `Ali (r), `Ali is narrating that hadith, it is in Bukhari and Muslim.

الحسين بن علي أخبره أن علي بن أبي طالب أخبره أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم طرقه وفاطمة بنت النبي عليه السلام ليلة فقال ألا تصليان فقلت يا رسول الله أنفسنا بيد الله فإذا شاء أن يبعثنا بعثنا فانصرف حين قلنا ذلك ولم يرجع إلي شيئا ثم سمعته وهو مول يضرب فخذه وهو يقول وكان الإنسان أكثر شيء جدلا

`ali ibn abee taalib akhbarahu anna rasoolullah (s) taraqahu wa Fatimah bint an-nabiyy `alayhi 's-salaam laylatan faqaala alaa tusalliyaan, faqultu yaa rasoolullah anfasanaa bi-yadillah fa idhaa sha'a an yaba`thnaa ba`thanaa fa-ansarafa heena qulnaa dhaalik wa lam yarji` ilayya shayyan thumma sami`tuhu wa huwa mawl yadrib fakhdhahu wa huwa yaqool 'wa kaana'l-insaanu akthara shayyan jadala'".

He said that one day the Prophet (s) taraqahu, which means "knocked". He passed by his house and knocked at his door at night and he was with Fatimah (a), and they opened the door. And the Prophet (s) said, alaa tusalliyaan "Are you two not praying?" Yes, they were praying. It means, "Oh Fatimah and `Ali, I want you to be praying Salaatu 't-Tahajjud." And this is narrated by Bukhari and Muslim. Because that time is the most precious time to Allah (swt) in the 24 hours, to be ready for Salaatu 'l-Fajr when everyone is sleeping and you are Muslim, awake worshipping Allah (swt) and praising His Prophet (s).

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: يا أيها الناس، أفشوا السلام، وأطعموا الطعام، وصلوا بالليل والناس نيام، تدخلوا الجنة بسلام - رواه ابن ماجه

Wa qaala Nabi salallahu alayhi wa sallam afshoo 's-salaam w 'ati`mu 't-ta`am wa salloo bi 'l-layl wa 'n-naasu niyaam tadkhulu 'l-jannata bi 's-salaam.

Today if you walk in the United States or you walk in Europe...the Prophet (s) saying to you in a hadith, "Afshoo 's-salaam." It means, "Say as-salaamu `alaykum." Show your love to people. When you see your brother in the street you say as-salaamu `alaykum. In Europe and America now, and Middle East and many Middle East countries, not here. Here, mashaa-Allah, it is different. You can see people (Mawlana Shaykh removes his turban and his kufi to show his bare head) like that. You don't know if they are Muslim; there is nothing on their head. And the Prophet (s) said, "Afshoo 's-salaam." "Say as-salaamu `alaykum." How do I know if this is my Muslim brother that I will say as-salaamu `alaykum to him if he is not showing me the sign of Islam?

So now, we have this tradition (Mawlana Shaykh puts on his kufi and his turban) of showing our outer Islamic presentation, Islamic dresses, because it is not acceptable except to show your Islamic dress. You can see in European countries, Muslims are losing their faith. They are not having a beard anymore, they are not having a hat on their head anymore. You don't know if they are Muslim or non-Muslim, so you cannot say to them as-salaamu `alaykum. That means the love of Islam has dropped from their hearts. If the love of Islam is strong in their hearts, they will be dressing like Muslims; they will not be dressing like non-Muslims.

I will give you an example today, and unfortunately, I am not criticizing anyone. Today I was just going out from where I am staying, to drive in the car, and the one driving me was - you doctors there (Mawlana Shaykh points to someone in the association), you saw that event with me today, didn't you? A lady, completely covered from top to bottom, which alhamdulillah was very nice, and she has niqaab, you cannot see her except for her eyes. And someone was holding her hand, with shorts, cigarette in his hand and an American hat, you know these cowboy hats, on his head and he is holding her hand and they are walking. Why is Islam only (enforced) on that lady and Islam is not on that person?

So it means the love of Islam has dropped from the hearts of people. Love of Allah and His Prophet (s) has dropped from the hearts of people. When someone expresses himself through his dress, at least through his appearance to look like a Muslim, at least he will show love to Allah and His Prophet (s). Look here in this room, there might be 500 people, all of them with a hat on their head. Very few might be professional business people or doctors; no problem, we excuse them but the rest, look at most of the people (have hats). This shows how much they are sincere in their hearts, to put on a hat and not to feel ashamed of it.

So the Prophet (s) said, in hadith of `Abdullah ibn Salaam: afshoo 's-salaam w 'ati`mu 't-ta`am wa salloo bi 'l-layl wa 'n-naasu niyaam tadkhulu 'l-jannata bi 's-salaam. If you love someone, what you do you do to him? You give him food. "Give food to people." That's why in the old time they used to give food to people, they used to have, like you have in this country of Indonesia, places that you serve food to people. They like that, poor people will come. Prophet (s) said, afshoo 's-salaam, "Say as-salaamu `alaykum." w 'ati`mu 't-ta`am, and give food." wa salloo bi 'l-layl, "and pray at night." wa 'n-naasu niyaam, "when the people are sleeping." What will happen if you give salaam to people, if you give them food, and f you pray at night when people are sleeping? What will Allah (swt) grant you? And he said, tadkhulu 'l-jannata bi 's-salaam, "You will enter Paradise peacefully." Narrated by Tirmidhi.

O Muslims, there are too many of these ahadith that guide you and direct you to the love of Allah (swt), where the real love is. Because he said, "Where is the love?" The love is for Allah and His Prophet (s), the love is for Holy Qur'an. Then comes the love for sahabat an-nabi salallahu `alayhi wa sallam, love of ahl ul-bayt an-nabi salallahu `alayhi wa sallam, love of each other, love of our scholars, love of our mothers and their mothers and fathers, and our children, love of the community, and love of the country. You go to some countries, there are no problems. You go to other countries, you find a lot of problems. Do you know why they have problems? Because there is no love. They lost the love. Every country today, many of the Muslim countries, you find fights with them and you find problems, killings. You find bloodshed. Shaytan is after us!

O Muslims! Don't let Shaytan come to you to destroy you. We want Allah (swt) to fill our hearts with iman, with faith, with the light of heavens, with the light of His Beautiful Names and Attributes. Give yourself to your Lord. What did the Sahaba do? They gave their life to Allah and His Prophet (s). There is nothing else. They left everything behind - their children, their families, and they went with Prophet (s). Wherever he directed them to go, they went. Our duty is to go back to history and read our history and see how much the Sahaba gave of their lives to Prophet (s). At least to give a drop of that to Sayyidina Muhammad `alayhi 's-salaatu w 'as- salaam.

And that's why, if we want to be resurrected with Prophet (s), if we want to be with Prophet (s) on the Day of Judgment, we have to love him more than we love ourselves and our families. As he said, and I repeat that hadith another time, Laa yu'minu ahadukum hatta akoona ahabbu ilayhi min nafsihi wa maalihi wa waladihi wa waalidihi wa 'n-naasi ajma`een.

"No one is considered a believer, no one is considered that he has that love in his heart until he loves me more than he loves his parents and his children and the whole world."

It means give yourself. That is why the Sahaba, they loved Sayyidina Muhammad (s) and they gave everything for him. What are we giving today for Islam? Nothing except small things here and there.

That's why such organizations like universities, Islamic universities, like Noor Islamic Association, like this community center that helps communities, that is what Allah likes. That is what our Prophet (s) loves. That's what was before. Really, it was not under a community center. Community center is a western word. Do you know the real word in Arabic for the community center? President? The real word that was existing in every country. You would find a lot of them, even in this country. We used to use the word in Arabic, ribaat. Ribaat is a place where people come if they are traveling or they are in the city, they come to meet and see the needs of each other and to know each other. We call it ribaat. In the subcontinent they call it khaniqah. In the Turkish area and Central Asia they call it dergah. I don't know what they call it here but it was existing before.

Now, today what word are we using? Community center, because it is a community. But the real word for it in Arabic we are not using anymore. In the Muslim countries, from North Africa all the way to Turkey and passing by Middle Eastern countries, Arab countries, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, all the way it is known as khaaniqah or ribaat. That's how the people used to look after everyone if they are in need for something, for the love of Allah they give it to him.

So may Allah (swt) show us His love through our hearts by saying, "Ya Rabbi! We are surrendering to You." We are, as Prophet (s) said in the hadith that I just mentioned, when you say laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah, Allah is saying, aslama `abdee, "My servant became Muslim." And then he is saying, w 'astaslama `abdee "My servant surrendered to Me." Let us surrender to Allah, since we are Muslims let us really surrender to Allah and throw Shaytan from our hearts.

Today our time is being lost on telephones. All the day we are holding our telephones. I am seeing people in the train, in the cars, in the airplanes, everywhere. You don't have anything to do? Instead of doing this, do this (Mawlana Shaykh uses his tasbeeh), say subhaanAllah, subhaanAllah, subhaanAllah, subhaanAllah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, allahu akbar, allahu akbar, allahu akbar, allahu akbar. Which is better? No, people are giving Shaytan in their hands. Allah is giving us Jannah and these people are giving us Shaytan in our hands. Or in the evening, children are sitting at home with all these kinds of play stations and different games and so on, making their lives miserable. And now, forget all these - the Internet. You are seeing people spending all their days and nights on the Internet and not only that, they come to you and they say to you, "Oh, my son lost his way. My daughter lost her way." Why? They are chatting on the Internet. With whom are they chatting? How many shaytans are on the Internet? You are letting your children chat on the Internet? Is it not? Why, you are chatting? (Laughter) That's what they do.

Where is Allah's love? Chat with Allah! It is better for you. Recite the Holy Qur'an, it is better. Saying laa ilaaha ila-L'lah it is better. Recite hadiths, read hadith, it is better. Make a du`a, it is better. But Shaytan doesn't let us to change our desire from the desire of dunya to the desire of akhirah. And Allah said in Holy Qur'an, rabbana aatina fi 'd-dunya hasana wa fi 'l-akhirati hasana. O Muslims, don't look at dunya alone. One hasana in dunya, one hasana in akhirah. It means, look at dunya and look at akhirah, balance between them and to balance between them is to keep Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s) in our hearts.

May Allah forgive us, may Allah bless us. Astaghfirullah. W 'as-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi ta`ala wa barakatuh.

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