Address at Singapore Expo
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`ala fee haadha 'l-masjid.
أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ
Ati`oollaha wa ati`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.
I would like to thank the doctor, the organizers of Simply Islam, and whoever helped in this program. I would also like to thank all these eminences or respected people who are in this assembly and would like to express my gratitude and my sincere respect to the one who was behind something that brought happiness to my heart; the one who showed respect to something that the Prophet (s) showed respect.
Unfortunately, for many, many decades and hundreds of years we have neglected that respect from our hearts. But today I am experiencing that coming back to our mind, and that respect should exist and we should say it in public as I have made a fatwa on it in America entitled, “The Prohibition of Domestic Violence in Islam.” And the first time in all my time coming to Singapore, I am seeing a presenter who is a respected lady. I would like her to stand up. I give my appreciation to her today. She is the one presenting everyone and moderating the whole evening.
Our honors are coming from the honors of women because we are coming from the womb of our mothers, so our respect has to come to them first. One of the portraits of the Prophet (s) is that he said, “Paradise is under the feet of the mothers.” And you ladies are the mothers of every generation and Paradise is under your feet. No one can enter Paradise unless the mother is happy with the child. May Allah (swt) bless the ladies, and the men as well.
Muhammadum basharun wa laysa ka ’l-bashari, “Muhammad is a man but not like men.” I do not know where to begin, as I feel shy to speak about the Prophet (s). The tongue is helpless; it cannot express what is in the heart, and even the heart cannot express what Allah (swt) gave to Sayyidina Muhammad (s). And with all that Allah (swt) gave to the Sahaabah (r) to speak of the greatness of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), even they were not able to express his greatness. But we manage and try to say anything we can, and whatever I am telling you here today is not even one percent or even one-millionth of a percent of the greatness of the Holy Prophet (s)!
I have heard many times from scholars, teachers and Sufi masters, “All the knowledge around the world is only a drop from the ocean of the knowledge of the Prophet (s).” Thus, we are speaking from that drop.
Muhammadun basharun wa laysa ka ’l-bashari huwa yaaqootatun wa ’n-naasu ka’l-hajari...alhamdulillah alladhee rafa` isma Sayyidina Muhammad (s) wa ja`lahu ma` ismih. wa alhamdulillah `ala ni`amihi, wa’lhamdulillah an khassanaa an naku min ummatihi (s).
May Allah (swt) be pleased with us. We are honored that Allah made us from the nation of Sayyidina Muhammad (s). That is an honor by itself; we do not need anything more than that. If you say, “I am from the ummah of the Prophet (s),” that is enough for you to enter Paradise first by mentioning Muhammad (s)! That is why Imam al-Busayri (q) said, “Muhammad (s) is a human being but not like us.” He (s) is a human being, but not a human being. If he is a human being but not a human being, what is he then? He is a human being who was able to penetrate through this universe without a space shuttle or a vehicle that could keep him alive! So is he a human being like us or a different [kind of] human being? Don’t say it is too much, no! For the Prophet (s), `azham an-nabi ma shi't, try to give as much greatness to the Prophet (s) as you can because Allah (swt) likes that as He gave greatness to the Prophet (s)!
So Imam al-Busayri (q) said, Muhammadun basharun wa laysa ka ’l-bashari huwa yaaqootatun wa ’n-naasu ka’l-hajari, “Muhammad (s) is a human being but unlike ordinary human beings, he is a jewel and human beings are mere pebbles.”
He wants differentiate, to express his love to the Prophet (s) and what he understood. He said, What is the difference between a jewel and pebbles? Think about it and understand.
O Believers! We are not coming here today to listen only; this speech is for the hearts. I don’t like to call it a “lecture” or “speech,” I like to call it “guidance.” If you are in a tunnel and you need to reach somewhere, you need a guide. This is guidance, much like the way Sahaabah (r) used to get, so it is not a lecture where you read some notes on a piece of paper, no! He wrote spiritual treasures, and here we need treasures. Allah (swt) said:
كنت كنزا مخفياً فأحببت أن أعرف فخلقت الخلق
kuntu kanzan makhfiyyan fa ahbaabtuhu an u`rafa fa khalaqtuhu ‘l-khalq.
I was a Hidden Treasure (and) I wanted to be known, so I created Creation. (Hadith Qudsee)
Allah (swt) is saying, “I wanted to be known to my servants, so I created Creation.” Thus, Creation is not created for dunya only. Allah gave us dunya wherein we may do as we like, but we must try to know about Him and at the same time we must remember that no one can really know Him, not even the Prophet (s). No one can know the reality of Dhat al-Buht, the Essence of the Divine Presence. But as much as you approach from these hidden treasures you can get some jewels, because you will find them.
Go to any mine in Africa; you will find diamonds in the soil or on the ground between rocks. If you move forward you will find more or go in the tunnels, where you will find more. Prophet (s) found more as he apporached Qaaba qawsayni aw adnaa, “two bow’s lengths or nearer.” But if you want to just sit and be idle, how then will you find it?
Ibn `Ajeeba (q) said, “Knowledge is of two kinds: the Knowledge of Papers and the Knowledge of Taste.” Knowledge of Papers is what is written, but Knowledge of Taste is inspired in the heart. Allah (swt) guided the Prophet (s) in whatever he said in order to get these treasures out.
You cannot give an ignorant person a treasure because he will lose it. You cannot give child a diamond because he will throw it away, but if you give him candy he will keep it in his pocket. Allah doesn't give treasures to those who don't appreciate them. There are too many books today, but you need to treasure the values, not the ink, as Allah (swt) said:
قُل لَّوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَاتُ رَبِّي وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِ مَدَدًا
Qul law kaana ’l-bahru midaadan li-kalimaati rabbee la-nafida 'l-bahru qabla an tanfada kalimaatu rabbee wa law ji’naa bi-mithlihi madada.
Say (O Muhammad), "And if the oceans were ink and the trees pens, they would be used up before writing the Words of our Lord even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid." (Surat al-Kahf, 18:109)
Allah's knowledge will not finish, so what do you want to express? To give the Prophet (s) these spiritual treasures, what did Allah do?
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيم
wa innaka la `alaa khuluqin `azheem.
You are of the most exalted character. (al-Qalam, 68:4)
That is enough to know how great the Prophet (s) is! Allah (swt) is saying, “Verily you have great manners and are of a great character.” This is not like telling a child, “You are so polite, you know how to sit very nicely.” Diplomats, princes and public figures are sent to protocol schools, where they teach you to hold knife and fork, and not to make mistakes. Is that the height of good manners? The Prophet (s) ate with his hands, as do many Singaporeans. Is that what is meant here?
Allah (swt) mentioned the word “khuluq” and Prophet (s) is described as “Khuluqahu al-Qur’an,” which means the manners, behaviors, and character he is dressed with is the Holy Qur’an. He is a walking Qur’an because of course Allah dressed him with all its secrets. Do you think Allah (swt) gave the Prophet (s) an empty Qur’an? Haasha! Allah (swt) granted him a Holy Qur’an that is giving whatever secrets he wants!
Allah (swt) says, “I was a hidden treasure,” and He gave to the Prophet (s) all the secrets He wanted to give him, which is why he said, uteetu jawaami` al-kalami, “I was given the best of expression,” and, “I was given the Knowledge of Before and the Knowledge of After.” As we have mentioned before, no one knows what is “before” and what is “after,” which is why we say the Qur'an is azali abadi, “before and after (time).”
Prophet (s) carries that reality with him--not as if he is carrying a 500-page book--he carries the entire knowledge contained in the Holy Qur’an! That is why he (s0 said:
وى الطبراني وغيره أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: قلب القرآن يس لا يقرؤها رجل يريد الله والدار الآخرة إلا غفر الله له، اقرؤوها على موتاكم
Qalb al-Quran Yaseen , “The heart of the Qur'an is YaSeen”
And the heart of YaSeen is al-Fatihah, and Muhammad (s) is ‘YaSeen’.” The first letter in the alphabet is “alif”and the last letter of the Arabic alphabet is “yaa,” which is also the first letter of his name “YaSeen” and the second letter is “yaa”. All 29 letters of the alphabet are between alif and yaa. The first letter of “Allah” is “alif,” and the Name “Allah” encompasses all the Beautiful Names and Attributes. All knowledge is contained between these two letters, which is why Allah (swt) said, wa innaka la `ala khuluqin `azheem. And what did Prophet (s) say?
أدبني ربي فأحسن تأديبي
adabanee rabbee fa ahsana taa'deebee.
My Lord has taught me excellent manners and perfected my manners.
There is a big difference between “adabanee” and “`allamanee.” I’m sorry, this conversation is going deeper and deeper, and I don't know what I am going to say next; it is all coming spontaneously. Open your eyes and ears, I am the worst one here; I am the one who has to sit at the threshold of every scholar and teacher! Don't think I am a scholar.
“Adabanee,” means knowledge that is not just taught as you can be taught many things but you might not be taught how to implement them. Or for example, you might go to Protocol School where they teach you to eat with the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand, how to eat with Shaytan, because Muslims eat with the right hand. But the Prophet (s) said adabanee, “Not only did Allah (swt) teach me, He also made me act on everything He taught. I am doing nothing but what Allah arranged for me and dressed me with. My actions come from the Holy Qur’an, what Allah (swt) taught me, and from the Divine Presence. He perfected my character and behavior, and made it the best!”
When Allah perfects something, it is unlimited, beyond any limitation. When we say Allahu Akbar, “Allah is Great,” He gives to His Prophet according to His Greatness; otherwise His Greatness is missing something. That is why Prophet (s) said, “Allah perfected my character,” because Allah (swt) taught him the secret of the Holy Qur'an! Do you think if He taught Prophet (s) “YaSeen” or “Alif. Laam. Meem” that He didn’t give him their meanings? Up to today, many scholars are trying to figure out the meaning of these letters and to decode them. Some say alif signifies “Allah” and meem signifies “Mulk.” That is one meaning, but is that the only meaning that Allah (swt) gave to Sayyidina Muhammad (s) when He taught him Alif. Laam. Meem? Every letter has a secret in the Holy Qur’an! That is what is meant by seeking spiritual treasures.
Allah (swt) said:
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى
Subhaan al-ladhee asraa bi `abdihi laylan min ‘l-Masjidi ‘l-Haraam ila ‘l-Masjidi ‘l-Aqsaa.
Glorified be He, Who took His servant for a journey by night from al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Mecca) to the farthest mosque (in Jerusalem). (Al-Israa, 17:1)
He said, “subhaan.” Allah (swt) is praising Himself by Himself to Himself! Our praise is nothing; we praise Allah because He asked us to praise Him, but our praising is not sufficient. He is saying, “Praise be to Me by Myself, to Myself.” That means no one can approach Him, and He is saying this to show the greatness of the action of that night, “Praise be to Me by Me, to Myself, that asra abi `abdihi, I make My `abd My servant travel by night on the Sacred Journey.”
Why did Prophet (s) travel [to Jerusalem first]? Why didn’t he make Mi`raaj from Mecca? Why did Mi`raaj have to take place from Masjid al-Aqsa? Do you think Allah (swt) cannot take the Prophet (s) from Mecca directly? Why did He have to move him in space through the Earth’s atmosphere? Allah took him from Masjid al-Haram in Mecca to Masjid al-Aqsa. Why? Because He wanted to tell the Quraysh and all other unbelievers up to the Day of Judgment, “I made the Prophet (s) travel to provide evidence of what he has seen on that night from the desert over which he traveled, to convince them what he said is the truth!”
The Quraysh did not believe, so Allah (swt) took Prophet (s) to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem to describe to them the different events that occurred between Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Aqsa. And what was there in Masjid al-Aqsa? All 124,000 prophets were present there and Prophet (s) led them in prayer! Also, why did Prophet (s) travel at night and not in the day? Because Allah (swt) wanted to say, “I took my beloved Prophet (s) from zhulumaat, the darkness of this Earth in which you cannot see anything!” And not only darkness that prevents seeing, but from places where there is darkness of evil, which means, “I took him from this evil Earth!”
That is a test for every human being, as bloodshed is everywhere on Earth, as shown by the angels’ response to Allah when He said, “I am going to create a caliph on Earth,” they said, “O our Lord! Do You want to make someone who is going to spread bloodshed and corruption on Earth?” Allah (swt) wanted to show them, “My khalifah, Sayyidina Muhammad (s), is My Representative. I am taking him from the darkness of this dunya to Qaaba qawsayni aw adnaa, “the distance of two bow’s lengths or even nearer”, to the top point of knowledge!”
O Muslims! There is no way to describe Sayyidina Muhammad’s (s) greatness as `abd. As Allah said, subhanalladhee asraa bi `abdihi, “Glory be to He who made His servant travel by night”, and He is happy to be named `abd. And Allah gave him a title that He did not give anyone, “Rahmatan li ’l-`Alameen,” The Mercy to All the Worlds, and “Ar-Rahmat al-Muhdaat,” The Gifted Mercy.”
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
Wa maa arsalnaaka ila rahmatan li ’l-`alameen.
(O Muhammad!) We have sent you not except as a Mercy for all the Worlds. (al-Anbiya, 21:107)
Who is “`alameen”? When we look today, scholars say, and it is also right, that `alameen is ins (Man) and jinn, but why ins and jinn? In Arabic, the word “alam” means the whole universe. So when Allah says, “We sent him as Mercy,” it was not just for humanity but for everything Allah created in this universe, al-Kawn, and it includes the Seven Heavens and even the angels. What is the evidence?
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
inna-Llaha wa malaa'ikatahu yusalloona `ala 'n-nabi, yaa ayyuha ’Lladheena aamanoo salloo `alayhi wa sallimoo tasleema.
Verily, Allah and His angels send praise on the Prophet. O Believers! Pray upon him and greet him. (al-Ahzaab, 33:56)
His angels are ordered to make salaat on the Prophet (s). How many angels, one thousand, one million? There is no limit, no number, because Allah is al-Khaaliq, the Creator. Therefore, if Allah stopped creating for any moment, then He is not the Creator: He is creating in every moment, what might be a fraction of a second, when angels everywhere must make praise on the Prophet (s). yaa ayyuha ’Lladheena aamanoo salloo `alayh, “O Believers! Imitate My angels [and praise him]!”
Like artificial, plastic fruit, we are making plastic salawaat, imitating, following the order. That is going into the secret of Creation, that Allah (swt) said when He created Sayyidina Muhammad (s):
أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ الَّذِي أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
Alam nashrah laka sadrak, wa wada`na `anka wizrak, alladhee anqada dhahrak, wa rafa`ana laka dhikrak.
Did We not expanded for you your chest (O Muhammad), and We removed from you your burden which had weighed upon your back, and raised high for you your repute. (ash-Sharh, 94:1-4)
“Rafa`ana laka dhikrak” came at the end and “alam nashrah laka sadrak alladhee anqada zhahrak a rafa`na laka dhikrak” came before it, then changed to “inna ma` al-`usri yusra.” So when Allah (swt) says, “I raised the name of Muhammad,” it means whenever you mention the Name of Allah you must also mention the Prophet’s name! So you cannot say, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah only and stop; you must also say, Muhammadun Rasoolullah.
Allah (swt) said, “Why are you so worried, yaa Muhammad? We have opened your chest to be so happy.” Why did Allah make the Prophet (s) so happy? He wants to tell us that before raising Prophet’s name with His Name, Prophet (s) was there asking, “O Allah! My nation, my nation!” When your chjild was born, were you not so happy? What made the Prophet (s) so happy? He got the human beings [as a trust] and he wants them to be so happy also!
And Allah (swt) said, “We took away your sin.” The Prophet (s) did not have any sin, so what sin is he worried about? It is the sin of human beings, and not only human beings but he was not happy with the complaints of angels:
قَالُواْ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاء وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ
qaaloo ata`alu feehaa man yufsidu feehaa wa yafsiku’d-dimaa wa nahnu nusabihoo bi-hamdika wa nuqadisoo lak qaala innee a`alamu maa laa ta`lamoon.
They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not." (al-Baqara, 2:30)
So the Prophet (s) was carrying the whole ummah, and even for that he never asked one question, not in the entire Qur’an, not even when they accused Sayyida `Ayesha (r)! Today everyone wants to ask a question.
I invited two reciters of Holy Qur'an from Egypt, Shaykh Muhammad al-Buhayri and Shaykh Ahmad al-`Amir, to a conference in America, where people asked them questions. It bothered one of them, who replied, akhras! `ulama al-azhar laa yus’alloo. “Shut up! The scholars of Azhar are not to be questioned, there is no place to argue here!” There is no argument in Holy Qur'an from the Prophet (s). Sayyidina Musa (a) argued with Sayyidina Khidr (a) as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, when Khidr told him, “You cannot carry what I do.”
So, rafa`na laka dhikrak, “We removed the burden that was so heavy on your back.” That was the burden of Creation; it was as if Prophet (s) carried the whole universe! “I freed you from that burden, I raised your name with My Name so that all Creation knows you are My `abd, My sincere servant. That is why I dressed you with mercy, wa ma arsalnaaka illa rahmatan li ’l-`alameen.”
So when Sayyidina Musa (a) questioned Sayyidina Khidr (a), he replied, “Do you want to seek treasures and learn spirituality? Then first purify yourself. Do you want to learn the secrets of the heart? You must first purify yourself.” And when Sayyidina Musa (a) was looking for Khidr, Allah described him:
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
fawajada `abdan min `ibaadina ataynaahu rahmatan min `indina wa `allamnaahu min ladunna `ilma.
So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence. (al-Kahf, 18:65)
“From the specialties of the Prophet (s), I gave that servant mercy from Us,” Which one came first, knowledge or mercy? Mercy came first. So without mercy in your heart you cannot reach spiritual treasures. Therefore, what kind of rahmat made Khidr reach spiritual treasures? This is what we have to understand: that Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is the rahmat!
When Khidr (a) knew the reality of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), where Allah said, wa rafa`na laka dhikrak, “We raised your remembrance (yaa Muhammad) with My Remembrance,” so when Khidr realized the door to spiritual treasures is to recognize the reality of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), at that time you can recognize the difference between candy and diamonds, at that time it will be said, “We taught him from heavenly knowledge.”
O Muslims! This is going to be long, but I will give you quotes from some scholars about purification. They said, in order to reach spiritual realities you must first purify the self. You cannot reach that if you are someone on the street, a troublemaker who kills and robs people, because you cannot be trusted. In my actions, I am a highway robber.
Allah (swt) said:
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
Huwa alladhee ba`atha fI ’l-ummiyyeena rasoolan minhum yatloo `alayhim aayaatihi wa yuzakkeehim wa yu`allimuhumu ’l-kitaba wa ’l-hikmata wa in kaanoo min qablu la-fee dalaalin mubeen
It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered an apostle from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom,- although they had been, before, in manifest error; (al-Jumu`ah, 62:2)
خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ صَلاَتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Khudh min amwaalihim sadaqatan tutahhiruhum wa tuzakkihim bihaa wa salli `alayhim inna salaataka sakanun lahum w’Allahu samee`un `aleem.
Take alms of their wealth, from which you may purify them and make them grow, and pray for them. Verily, your prayer is an assuagement for them. Allah is Hearer, Knower. (Surat at-Tawbah, 9:103)
So without giving from what you love to Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s), it means you didn’t reach purity and cleanliness of the self. Then Allah said, wa yu`allimahum al-kitaaba wal-hikamat, “After that he teaches them Qur’an, al-Kitab and wisdom.” So you can give to a hospital, a university, or even smile at people, which is charity. Some always frown at others, they may think, “They are garbage, I have a jubbah!” Dress is not always important.
King Alexander the Great said, “When I die, put me in the coffin and leave my hands out of the coffin.”
They asked him, “Your Majesty, why?”
He said, “I want to give a lesson to the people of my kingdom, that the king died and went with nothing in his hands.”
So Allah said, “Take money or something good from their wealth.” To smile in face of someone is from faith.
Purify yourself, then you are in the state of Tazkiyyat an-Nafs, and you can slowly begin to enter what we are speaking of, seeking spiritual treasures. It is said that to know the self is to be aware at every moment of its desires and where it is taking you, to stop yourself from going that way. That is the first step in purifying the self. Today we follow whatever is our desire. Your shaykh tells you to read Qur’an, but you have one eye on the TV and one eye on verses of Holy Qur'an, so you don't know what you read. That is our way today. When the shaykh says to make salawaat on the Prophet (s), you take beads, might be big ones like these, and you are praising the Prophet (s) and watching, let us say, the news!
What are you making that salawaat for? Don't be proud, that is the second disease of the self, al-`ujb, vanity, to be proud; you think you are something. That will make the heart blind, because you think you are doing good and you are in fact doing wrong. One thinks he is fighting for Allah's sake, jihad, by doing suicide bombing, but in reality he is killing innocent people. No one can touch on the subject of suicide bombing or people will come and threaten you! I was in a conference in Turkey two weeks ago and there were `ulama from Azhar and a hundred `ulama from Afghanistan. We spoke on suicide bombing and the rights of women. Everyone took notes. Then they opened the floor and although we had spoken for two days about suicide bombing, it was as if no one had listened. Their questions were only, “Is suicide bombing halaal or haraam?” We were speaking two days, bringing evidence and all kinds of fiqh, the Secretary General of the Fiqh Council in Jeddah was also there. And so, what to say to them when even the president of Azhar was repeating himself? They said, “Our shaykh gave a fatwa (that suicide bombing is permitted) and we have to follow it.” So at the end of the session, I asked, “Do you believe Allah is observing us?”
They said, “Yes.”
“Do you believe the Prophet (s) is observing us?”
And they said, “Yes, as the Prophet (s) observes actions of his ummah.”
And so I said, Al-halaalu bayyin wa ’l-haraamu bayyin, “what is permitted is clear and what is forbidden is clear”, and on Judgment Day you are going to have to answer whether it was halaal or haraam. What are you going to say?” They were quiet and we ran away!
That is `ujb: the scholar thinks whatever he studied and whatever he says is correct. And that is what you see with the fatwa on suicide bombing in Afghanistan: they think they are doing good, but they are doing bad! They are killing and they think they are doing jihad. Don't say, “I am right, it is in Holy Qur'an!”
فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ
wa laa tuzakoo anfusakum.
Don’t praise yourself. (an-Najm, 53:32)
Dignity is for Allah (swt), the Prophet (s) and the Believers. Don't kill people! May Allah guide us to the way of the Prophet (s) and the way of spirituality as without it we will be losers.
I wrote this too, and it will be good if I can say it if we have time. Allah (swt) said, “If you judge between people, judge with justice.” “Al-`adl” does not only mean “justice” but also to audit yourself, when you ask, “Am I doing correct or wrong?” Justice is also related to children. Are you behaving well with them or not? Are you working enough to provide them with what they need or not? And “`adil” is also related to nations. Are you fair with your government and your country? I said yesterday that this is a fair, safe country. Look at what is going on in Arab countries! Here no one can bother or harm you. And it is a just country here. And justice in nizam, in the regime, justice in economy, and here there is no economic crisis, for example, the collapse of banks that ate everyone’s savings. That is haraam; they go to Las Vegas and spend ten million dollars, is that justice?
To have an ideal city you must have justice, to provide jobs as people need to work. This is all related to spirituality. (A pious person once) said, “If I go home, sleep and wake up regretful, it is better and more lovely to me than to wake up at night, stand in prayer and become vain from it.” It means, “I prefer to sleep as a humble person, give no problem to anyone and wake up a poor person than to conspire against everyone and wake up proud of myself.”
May Allah take away pride our pride and give us justice! You see in courts they put a scale and write “Justice,” that both sides must be equal. That is what we must do to make our akhirah and our dunya balanced and equal.
وِمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Wa minhum man yaqoolu Rabbana atinaa fi 'd-dunya hasanatan wa fi ’l-akhirati hasanatan wa qinaa `adhab an-naar.
O our Lord! Give us goodness in this life and goodness in the other life, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:201)
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
Q & A Session
Q: I remember that Rasoolullah (s) referred to “tooba,” telling the Sahaabah (r), “You are lucky,” but what about tooba, thumma tooba for people like us? We are very happy the Prophet (s) mentioned that three times.
A: The word “tooba” means, “Good tidings to the one who saw me (Prophet), because they saw me and they learned from me.” But tooba and tooba and tooba (repeated three times) is meant, “For those who believed in me (Prophet), but didn't see me.” So there are those who are not Sahaabah that Allah will give rewards three times because they believed in the Prophet (s) without seeing him. That is like you and like everyone in this meeting.
I will mention this hadith that is for everyone. the Prophet (s) said, “There are people who are not prophets and not martyrs. The prophets and martyrs will be so happy with them and will hug them on the Day of Judgment.” Then they (Sahaabah) asked, “Can you tell us who they are?” and the Prophet (s) said, ‘They are those who come together for rawhullah, love of Allah, and for no connection of dunya or relationship.”
That is why the Prophet (s) said, “tooba” to the Sahaabah and to those others, “tooba, tooba, tooba.”
(End of broadcast)
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